Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-12-11
Human Nature.

J From Whitewater Register it il
amazing how much of hog there is il
, human nature; or perhaps it is the hui
man nature in the hog that makes hin
act so. At any rate the selfishness Of
both natures is SO seemingly identical
in kind as to make a suggestion Of
cousinship unpleasantly forcible. These
solemn observations are forced upon us
by the character of the objections which
are made to the tariff bill passed at tAe
recent session of Congress. The I'M
happy statesmen who concocted that
measure supposed that they had done a
fine thing by giving a substantial bene-
tit to every American industry; but it
showed only how little they know of
human nature. Instead of pleasing
everybody they have angered almost
everybody. What enjoyment can
Smith have in pie which the govern
ment lays down on his table, when it
lays down just as large a piece on
Jones tablet Congressman LaFollette
nearly wore his soul out IN getting a
benefit for the tobacco growers of his
district. But while it resulted in put
ting an average of one hundred in the
pockets of each of them, their gorge
arcs e because the wool growers of the
next county realized quite as much
from their fragment of the tariff. And
the tobacco grower forgot the hundred
dollars in his pocket from thinking of a
few shillings more which his wooden
clothes might cost in year on account
of the benefit which his sheap raising
Deighbor was getting; and the latter
forgot the hundred dollars in his pocket
because of the small extra expense
which his tobacco might cost him. And
so both stayed away from the polls. or
went and voted against Bob LaFollette.
1t is useless to ask either to consider
his own large benefit in the case; he
merely thinks of what the other is re-
ceiving and of the pittance he may be
contributing thereto.
A farmer in Illinois whose barley is
bringing him hundreds OF dollars more
since Canadian barley can no longer
glut the American market is in hot
state of revolt because of the tariff on
tin. He admits that it may not raise
the price of tin at all, and that in any
case it would not cost him 25 cents a
year more on the tin which his family
uses; .but Just think, he says, what
sn enormous sum that is for somebody
rs cents from every family! | would
be satisfied with one cent from every
person in Chicago; it would make me
rich enough. = Very likely, and no
doubt the old porker would take good
care that no one else should have q par
tice of benefit from it. Think of the
narrowness, the seltishness. the short
sightedness of man who can see only
one side of measure of an experiment
al character, which by the terms of the
law authorizing it, is to be discontinued
il unsuccessful, but which it is hoped
will give employment to millions OF
American capital and tens of thousands
of American workmen, and in the end
materially cheaper the cost to consum-
ers of great common necessity. The
fact that some one may get more bene-
fit out of it than he can or will poisons il
utterly for him.
And so because Carnegie has become
millionaire the teeth Of thousands
arc set on edge; yet everyone admits
that he himself can purchase with $50
more and better axes, hammers, saws
forks and like implements than hecould
have done with 800 twenty year,
ago; and all because Carnegie and other
men OF genius and energy struck out in
new lines of invention and manufacture.
But the Carnegies got rich at it anc
that spoils it all for everybody else, anC
we kick and curse the government
Poor human nature, out Of full moutl
1t speaks envyings.
CfWioSitteS Of the american Stage, b,
Laurance Hutton, just published b,
Harper & Brothers, is perhaps the mo-
important contribution yet made 20 th
history of our native drama. The vol
ume contains large number of POI
traits. many of them published for tn
first time, of noted actors and actresse
who have appeared at different time
upon the American stage; and the wor
taken as q whole, is unique and yalua
! BILE addition to the literature of thi
: ! country