The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-16
Present-Day Thoughts.
BY MEMO

(,
BY MEMO
copyrighted by Dave and Tabor.
Those who boast much are those
who otherwise would possibly be lost
to sight. The truly great never boast;
they do not need to. 1t is the mind
that is too small to understand its
relation to other minds, that vaunt-
eth itself to be something great; and
because it is so small it is usually
alone in its self-glorifying opinion.
To do and then to be content, whether
the doing becomes known or not is
to be great. But to do some trifing
thing and then outrageously cackle
about it, is not only to be small but
to appear small. 1t is better to abide
by the sober estimate of our fellows
than to confuse their minds and dis
gust them by our vain gloryings.
Granting that our work has value
some one will surely arise to express
appreciation of its honesty and sim
plicity. Even earthworms have had
Darwin to explain the potency of
their doings. But if no praise comes,
what matter? The heart that feels its
own purity of intention is not with
out an inner reward. The surest way
of a downfall is to boast, because the
very self-confidence of the boaster
prevents him from making the most
ordinary and common-sense prepare
lions for difficulties yet to be faced
and deeds yet to be done.
**#
Let us give this thought a strong
and timely turn. Nationally we need
it; for by unfortunate chance many
men unprepared by study, unripe in
Judgment, ignorant in history and
its teachings-blatant boasters-are
during these days of national testing.
writing headlines and editorials for
some of the most-read American pa
pers. They are causing at home and
abroad most unfortunate estimate
of our national worth, and they NOT
only threaten to but actually do make
us look ridiculous in the eyes of the
world. Nor this only, but they sin
against us all and against the genera
lions yet to come, by giving US false
opinion of ourselves.
*x#
Our nation is too great and has toe
much reserve possibility of future
greatness to be worthily led in its
opinions by writers of noisy headlines
that twist the capture of a freighter
into a notable achievement. or who
magnify skirmish into a naval en-.
gagement, or who describe everything,
either good or bad, in terms that are
never less than superlative. The day
that DeweY's victory at Manila be-
came known, one of these blind lead
ers with readars that number nearly
a million, fairly frothed at the mouth
as he penned his editorial. A most
moderate line was that "Strvng fishes
are now nibbling at the mustaches OF
the naughty Dons," and 1--WE oDn
the western hemisphere; see!' This
surely is not the American spirit, yet
it gets remarked upon as such. If in
any faint measure l can interpret the
real American feeling, it was voiced
in Admiral Dewey's own message
when after mentioning his victory in
most ordinary terms, he closed saying
that he was taking good care of two
hundred or more wounded Spaniards
49,
One scribbler for a paper that
boasts Il suppose because no news
from Mars and the distant stars can
be gained to disprove the assertion
a circulation 1.-The greatest in the uni
verse" called the Manila exploit "the
greatest naval engagement in the his
tory of the world" Such a writer is
in the condition of an illiterate mar