The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-01-06
Ola Men.

the weight of his authority to the orin-
ion that 80 men out of 100 become sim
DIV obstructives after they reach the age
of 60, and speaking for his own domain
of science he is reported to have eX-
pressed the wish that any man who had
taken any part in science might be
strangled as soon as he had reached that
age.
At first this sounds like an extreme
opinion, and Its nature wholly at
variance with that dispassionate modeYa
ton which marks the true philosopher
Persons who have not been excited by
the search for molecules and protoplasm
will suggest that old scientists and all
other obstructlves might be retired on
pensions, with strict orders to prevent
them from publishing any of their re-
searches. Superficial readers will OBJ
ject that even if the majority of sexagen-
arians are distractions, and consequently,
detrimental to the cause of progress,
vet these are exceptional casesof senescent
advancement, and that it would be UNI
wise to obliterate their contributions by
a new Herydian slaughter of the first
born.
But there is logical fallacy in asking
that the few and unimportant contribu-
tons of the exceptions should he made
an excuse for enduring and perpetuating
the distractions of the great majority.
We do not insist upon strangulatlon rs
the only means of properly Kidding the
world of those who lag supertluous on
its stage. but we do insist that when
ever a man in any department of work or
culture or progress begins to be an OBJ
structive. he should b made away with
The greater his servic i'll the past, and
the higher his reputation, the more
urgent is the necessity for his annihila-
ton as soon as he has begun to turn
backward like Hezekiah's shadow: the
mischief of great name perverted or of
a great reputation misused and misap-
piled is merely an aggravatlon of the
mischief wrought by lesser men. and
there could be no greater mistake III
benevolence than to allow the world to
be darkened by the shadow of old age
merely because in youth the world was
enlightened by its light.
In every department OF life the men
who are unable to learn anything new
think there is nothing new to learn, and
the men who have ceased to grow think
that the world has reached its limit of
growth. In nothing is this instructive
obstructiveness more clearly discernible
than III matters of business If the Old
fogv in science deserves to be strangled,
the old fogy in business should be
kicked to death 10y a mule. He is ter
rible infection on the community. He
has long since been left behind by
Younger men of more active habits and
newer WAYS, but he still holds on to his
capital. his custom his good will. and he
divides his energies pretty evenly be-
tween keeping III the old rnts himself
and preventing everybody else from get
ting out of them. We should not like to
stranclc all the business men of st.
Louis who have passed the age of sixty, |
but if some Athenlan ostraclsm could
Danish them all at one fell swoop 1t
would produce IA change which we can
safely leave TO the Imagination OF our
In journalism it is not so essential to |
strangle the antique obstructlves, for the |
calling is merciful one, and usually !
brings tie happy release OF death or Il |
puhlic Office by the time that the age of |
usefulness is passed. But II there are |
any who survive they should be knocked |
on the head forthwith. to tie great i'm !
urovement of their newspapers and the |
delight of the public. The superannu-
ated journalist may be recognized by !
his horror of sensations. by his oblec- |
ton to publishing criminal news II he !
has TO pay for collecting II, by his pref
erence for long.winded communications |
from constant readers. and 10y an unfml- !
ing instinct which guides him III omit !
ting all the news that the people want to /
read. and in publishing news that no T,
man could read if he were condemned to !
solitary confinement without Labor for
life. Fortunately, though lie will not |
improve his own paper, he cannot pre-
vent Younger men from publishing bet |
fer papers. and thus his capacity for mis- |
chief is limited. But, ut the same time. |
If would be an incalculable beneiit to the |
journalism OF this country If all OF the |
Journalists who have passed HuNleys |
climacteric should be submitted to Hulk
leys ordeal.
In the army we believe that supertiu |
ous veterans are retired Mt 81, and per- |
haps the ease of an army life, especially
in peace. may be favorable to the conser-
yation of the faculties, but we should
not allow any one, under any circum-
stances, to remain in politics after the
age of 60. This rule should be made |
imperative and without any allowances |
OF exceptions. The superannnated bust |
ness man is hopeless the superannuated |
journalist is fossilized, but the superan-
nuated politician Is an obstructive whose
instant and morciless demolition IS de- |
manded by the highest interest OF society. |
We are happy to think that the appiIca-