The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-22
EGOTISM.

Dell USJ bIGCtio COnltIllDb anu NlINCS
away friends, prOvokes the ridiCule OF
enemies and becomes a chronic mental
diStemper, an inCurable malady. We
patronize self-cOnfidence, self-esteem,
egotism in the employment of lawyers,
doctors and even in COachmen. We look
up to it in our bankers, statesmen and
warriors. There are degrees Of it. Ma
poleon had one kind and the Iron Duke
another Grant, Pap Thomas, Lincoln
one kind, ''Old Hasty Plate of Soup
and General Pope another, aud Phil
Sheridan, on the way to Winchester, was
mounted, self-pOsSesSed, victorious and
inspiring egotism that breathed itself
into his men and made the name OF
Sheridan immortal.
Lord Erskine earned the title of Baron
Ego" and on one occasion a London ed
itor apologized for the delay of his paper
and gave as a reason that he was print
ing a speech of Erskine's and was out of
capital rs" In all these cases egOtism
was called self-confidence.
Self esteem does not excite contempt
if married to a ''result-getter. 1t is
only when we find that the egOtist has
but that one element of greatness we
grow weary Of him. If our doctor says
he can save one near unto death and
does it, we admire and court him; if he
boasts and the patient dies then, and
only then, do we pronounce him an
"egOtist." We are not disguised with
noisy claims until we note successive
failures. 1t Is failure we condemn, not
"egotism.' Egotism without power,
and power coupled with lack of self es-
TEEN or confidence, are both useless.
Power options exist without egOtism,
and yet in 200 pages, commencing with
Paul, the apostle, and coming down to
Thad. Stevens, Garfield and BeacOns-
field, in a book called Self Conscious
ness of Noted Persons" Justin S. Morrill,
embalms the self cOnceit of 200 acknOwI-
edged greatmen, who were not guilty of
self depreciation or detractiOn, and in
forget the spur of "Self conscious
ness"
Never speak evil of yourself; there
are plenty of others who viii attend to
that for YOU. is an Old saying and in
connection with Kansas it Is intended to
write of this.
Kansas has been moderately well adj
vertised. 1t Is generally known that we
are a part of the Louisiana purchase. that
Coronado camped at Wichita: that Mont
gOmery Pike preserved US in a report to
congress as a desert: that John Brown
immortalized himself and Kansas; the
Lecompton constitution lies in imperish-
able infamv and the Topeka one in
amarenthine glory; that we are IN the
"Ad Astra Per Aspera" business; thatwe
have had grasshoppers and got well of
EN- that the present corn crop would
founder the same number Of 'EraSs-hUp-
pers:h that we have more railroads per
head than anv other state: that we are the
friend and ally of Oklahoma and the
Galveston deep harbOr; that we head the
west on the voluntary state Immigra-
ton act and that we are aEitated bv
resubmission and Farmers Alliances;
that we have largest crop and lowest
price. highest freight rate and less num-
ber of freight cars. more salt plants and
sugar mills. and are the most prosperous,
worst paid, staguant and depressed PEG
pie on the face Of the globe, and yet are
the residents of the most equable climate
and pOSsesSors Of the finest soil. to which
we invite immigration IN one breath
and publish that we have lost thousands
by going 10 Oklahoma IN another.
KANSANS ARE NATURAL EGOTIsTs,
Vet are becoming detractors. We are at
present a paradox of 800 square miles.
and are aping the building Of the tower
Of Babel in upbuildiug today and tearing
down tomorrow. The process of reCen-
GRAFTON and disintegration are contend
ing for supremacy. The real estate bull.
and agricultural bear are both hard al
work. The millions Of money spent N
municipal improvements and city build
ings eUnces the faith of the town. The
Farmers Alliance attest the distrust Of
the country.
The busted boom. and slow rec0v.
cry, the agitation Of the liquor question,
the big crop and low price. the Indian
territory emigration. and los Of dIvi-
dendS IN railroads and small hanks; aci-
tas]on Of interest and anticipated war on
corporations at the next session u thu
legislature: all taken together Is fright
ening eastern money lendeTs-haussa~
loans are the hardest sellers TO-DAY IN New
York, England and Boston and IN all the