Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-27
The Praise Of Kaayes.

II is but another form Of tbo
to say that he is measured BY tb ppsan TO-
praise him. To be warmly commenMsh o|
by rascals, to be the model great naedI
OF those whom everybody despises ' =;
cruel fate, because it is an une,n Is a
judgment. The qualities that saals
the admiration of knaves ara secure
honorable qualities, and every s ur. theI
tive OF admiration which a scoundl.a,
bestows upon another man covers D W
man with suspicion. When = AIN .aadI
guished man showed his friend a lo,4
of the heartiest admiration from ona ,e
the great men of his time, his fir end ~
piled that he would rather ba yat II re
letter than a diploma from the first rN!
versity. And when a graduating o Ial
of generous collegians Spontaneous s,sl1
cheers a professor as a parting token y
respect and regard, he may we'll II &c o9
that he is pledged to still greater da ,ee
ton and diligence by the confidsn,o.
which he has won from young men.
In estimating men whose names on,,
are familiar it is necessary to know WI!
it is that extols them and who snecr s% y
them. 1t is this knowledge wh;aS
makes honest public men absolutely iu
pervious to the shafts of the most VENOM
Gus ridicule, and unmindful Of ~
heaviest missiles of abuse. The con
tempt of such men battles the sneers =
blackguardism as the sun extinruisbol
the feeble flicker of a match. indoad
there is nothing more ludicrous thar
the constant and elaborate vituperatio1
which is sometimes poured by a news
paper or a politician upon an opponen
who is as absolutely unconscious Of th
incessant assault a. a picture is heed
less of the buzzing of a fly. Or out q
sheer humanity toward suffering, sud-
a man may so far reward the ardum1
struggle of the harmless traducer as J
exclaim, good-naturedly: "Shoo, aH
don't bother mel"
No man who takes part in public al
fairs must be surprised or troubled to
%placarded, as it were, upon all the dead
walls as a thief, a liar, a villain, a dude
or a donkey. Where the press is free
and where elections are constantly m
curing without great issues to be al
cided, and nothing but personal consij
erations to determine votes, sue
placarding is sure to occur, and thep
is nothing to do but to do nothing.
the graveyard, as ella" says in ii
familiar passage, to Judge from the cpl
taphs, only good men to be buried
SO at an election, to Judge from I'll
newspapers, only bad men are to
voted for. No sooner has the Conventio
decided that White, Black, or Gree
shall be the candidate than it appear
that he is the personification of all mes
and petty vices, and that his conduct
every relation of life has been nefariou
He lies and brides and steals. and coul
the truth be known it would undoub
eddy appear that he was the real mu
derer of the babes IN the wood, and thd
his beard is blue. But his art has sud
ceeded in c%oncealing his actual charad
ter hitherto, and he has imposed hims
for fifty years upon his associates an
friends and the community at largex
good natured, honest, industrious, w
lic-spirited and clever man.
Nature, it is said. provides an ant
dote against the poison of every venom
u snake, and in like mannershe make
this provision against false charactersl
that they shall be praised by thoscwhq
applause is certain exposure. Til
applause is q Nessus shirt. 1t is mea1
to decorate and attract, but it teal
away the skin and the life. Such pral
is meant to adorn and commend, but
leaves its victim blasted with suspica
and scorn.-IAe Easy Chair, M Aa
o1o,'c nnru1;oo