The evening times., 1898-05-20

IaEm WHO we're less tn8u nall HlB years,
ard used frequently to come out win
ner. He would have been unsatisfled
ir any occupation which did not give
him an occasional sense of triumph.
Now. that sort of thing Is healthy. and
II ought not to- be eradicated from hu-
man nature.
An episode in a recent novel Illus
trstes very effectively the methods by
which some people are trying to eradi-
cate the fighting instinct. TIE hero of
this novel, when a small boy. falls into.
the hands of a lady who endeavors to
inculcate in his youthful mind the idea
that fighting is sinful. She instructs
him that on no account Is he to resent
any injury from a schoolnlate: he Is to
come and tell her. and she will tell the
boys mother. These Instructions. We
are told. the boy followed-all but the
telling. He endured affiiction and kept
silent. But one day the worm turned.
and under the provocation of unbeara-
BILE insult, be gave young compano on
a most thorough thrashing. He ex-
pected to get one himself. at home. but
that did not matter This, however.
did not happen. Instead. he was re-
qu.red to go and apologize to the
thrashed one. Next morning he met
the other boy, before school. The
other boy was grinning with satisfac-
ton. but hfs grin vanished when he re-
ceived several emphatic blows in the
face. "There!" said the youth who had
been forced to apologize. Il had to beg
your pardon last night, and maybe
I'll have to tonight. but I am goin
tc do that to you every time have ter
beg your pardon!" There are few men
who will not feel a thrill Of sympathetic
amusement at the conduct Of this boy.
The instincts of healthy boyhood had
to have an outlet. apology or no apol-
ogy. And there Is a tale. which has
been revived. by the, recent episode at
Manila, to the erect that. Commodore
Dewey, once upon time. got into diff
Guilty with marine. and when the
marine used Objectionable language to
him, Dewey doffed his official coat and
gave the man a scientific pummeling.
after the manner of the youthful off,
Ger who settled an affair of honor with
Private Ortheris. Dewey was brought
before a justice of the peace and fined
$25. He paid it cheerfully, remarking
that it was worth SIS to have the pleas
ure of thrashing such a disgrace to the
United States service.
There is no denying that the old
fashioned practice of boxing, and the
way of settling difficulties arising
therefrom. has something of manliness
about IL which no exchange of cash for
insults received can possibly have. The
duel with pistols is, perhaps, the least
satisfactory from this point of view,
There is doubt after all, whether it
is worth while to kill a man because he
has. possibly under a mistaken impress
sion. called one liar. There is very
decided doubt whether it is conducive
to manhood to follow the practice of
the German army. and kill civilian
because he has unintentionally jostled
one in a public place. Undoubtedly. in
a highly civilized state of society, there
will be a disposition to explain things,
and settle difficulties by brains instead
of blows-it is more in accordance with
common sense-but it is to be doubted
whether it is well to become SO highly
civilized that all difficulties can be COM
pounded with cash. The Intellectual
and moral elements in mans nature
are by no means at their highest point
of development when a man Is willing
to submit to insult and bullying from
a ruffian, simply because he Is afraid
to risk a black eye. The complete man
Will have mind and body alike on the
alert; he will be able to make a ringing
and magnetic speech, write a clear and
expression of his views,
think fer himself and others in an
and defend his rights and
those of his dependents against those
who can understand no argument but
force.