The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03
ABOUT sElF-sAoRIElcE.
It IL Admirable Only When Guided by
Reason ana Justice.

It Is Admirable Only When Guided by
Reason and Justice.
The generous spirit that induces tho
sacrifices of self FOR others seems to DO
altogether admirable, yet littlo refloc-
tion will show that this, like other good
things, may be carried to such an oXtent
as to be vice rather than virtuo
Sometimes the self-sacridce defeats its
own purpose by developing in others q
degree of selnshness injurious to them
and ultimately leading to their un hap
piness. Take the case of a loving wifo,
who seeks to crafty every wish of her
husband without regard to her own COM
fort or happiness, who forgives him all
tho wrongs he may do and continue
to the end to worship an ideal existing
only in her Imagination. If he is selfish
enough, to begin with, to allow such
sacrifices in his behalf he will soon
grow more selfish and demand as a right
those attentions and sacrifices accorded
him through an excess of love. He will
become arrogant incapable of caring for
himself, and except when his wife is
present to act as his hand-maid he will
be made unhappy by having no one to
pet and humor him in the way to which
he has become accustomed. She thinks
only OF his happiness, anticipates his
wishes, neglects her own desires that he
may be gratifod, and instead of promot-
ing his ultimate good renders him unfit
for the society of other more selfish COM
panions. But it is mothers, and espec-
tally widowed mothers, who carry tho
spirit of sacrifice for others to the great
est extravaganza, and ofton with dis
astrous results to themselves and to
those they love- Thinking only of the
pleasures to bo afforded their child, they
humor him in every way, develop his
selfish instincts, encourage him to dress
and live beyond his true means, or at
the sacrifice OF home comforts, and find
when he has reached manhood, that he
is utterly ungrateful dissatisfied with
his condition, perhaps made vicious by
his idle habits and need for more money
than he can command. Sacrifices that
produce such results may have their
origin in kindly heart and in lovable
disposition, but they are so little guided
by reason and good sense that they are
not to be commended. Even in busi-
ness life and in the professions there
are men who make sacrifices (through
modesty or love of the arts and sciences)
that are unjust to themselves and do in
! jury to others by developing in the lat
ter degree of selfishness that could
scarcely exist but for the presence OF
unselfish people to minister to its
growth. A man devoted to science, TAX
ing no thought of himself or of the re-
wards to be won for his own support OF
qualification, makes discovery
which he gives freely to the
world. Another of q more prac'
tical turn of mind takes up the discov'
cry, turns it to good account, obtains q
patent on the application, and acquires
great fortune through tax laid upon
the real discoverer and others like him.
The sacrifices made by modest men OF
ability out of devotion to some hobby OF
art or science or educational effort are
often mischievous In two ways. They
deprive the real worker of the rewards
of reputation and money that are his
due, and they give those rewards to some
undeserving man whose self-assertior
brings him to the front. The excuse
usually made for such retiring modestJ
by the workers is that they care only
for the advancement of humanity II
some special line; that they are conten
to be unknown and have no selfish do
sire for money rewards. Sacrifices o
this kind should not be made. The.
are not so admirable when examined al
they appear to be at first sight, for
though prompted by good motives O
high character, they work injustice. Th'
men who do the work in any public en-
terprise should get the reward thereto
in place and reputation. Self-sacritic
by wives, mothers, scientists and othe
workers can only be wholly admirabl
when it is guided by reason and does n
injustice. Baltimore Sun.