Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-03-18
Do Talk Too Muchr

Solomon says-seTO everything there
Is a season, and a time to every pur-
pose under heaven; a time to keep
silence, and a time to speak," He was
the wisest man that ever lived and he
to know. Another old adage
says-"Speech is silvern, silence is
golden" And yet another old maxim
avers-"Still waters run Deep" Ger
tainly I cannot claim the virtue of
being silent, If it Is a virtue, when q
ought to speak to further a cause
he believes to be right. And when I
say cause, I want to asserverate, I trust
my name, personality and life may be.
ever identified or associated with a
good cause, and not solely and sellshly
for the advancement OF w. Fl. Goozee's
worldly interests and aRairs. I would
fain rather adopt a high ideal, one
that like q noble tree ever lifts its head
heavenward." That silence is a virtue
under certain conditions and circum-
stances, no Intelligent person will
deny. A soft quiet answer will turn
away wrath, and he that restraints his
tongue and: temper THAT is the man
who is master Of himself) is greater
than the general who takes a great
city, or fertilization. We have all met
the man who seldom talks. He
answers simply yes, and no, or with
shrugs and grimaces. As far as con-
%versation is concerned, he is perfectly
inaccessible, he has no opinion, his
thoughts r locked up, you cannot
find out where he stands, he Is always
evasive, he will not give you one jot,
one iota of information or knowledge,
he Is 9 living mummy, q. will not say
Egyptian mummy and you might
almost as we'll talk to a statue, for you
are bafaed everyway in sounding his
|shallowness or depth, by the plummet
of reason. Is such a character COM
mendable? Does his still. waters run
deeps Too deep perhaps to be honest;
for sometimes to be silent is to be in
too is cowardice as often as it is
Of my friends thought I spoke a little
Of policy and discretion to remain
practices. By openly avowing an
help one candidacy, but rather serves
to antagonize some against you. We
will say, we are no slick, tricky politi.
clan, neither do we wish to antagonize
anyone. we always endeavor to avoid
what is personal, IL we have cause tc
attack or launch ~invective against any.
thing, it Is directed at measures and
practices, not individuals. So far as
we are aware, we have not a single
enemy, or. imagine anyone is malevo.
lently inclined against us in
Ramsey county,nor wish to have such,
yet the above opinions of good friends
may be true in some measure, but in
the long run it is our experience, the
open, candid, frank expression OF
opinion is appreciated. Most men
Idespise the hypocritical, two-faced
still tongued person, who has not the
courage to avow his conscientious
convictions, who is afraid to show the
Thoughts of his soul for fear Of
antagonizing other minds. Silence we
repeat Is often cowardice as we'll as
| disreputable and dishonest. We dc
not want the Office of county auditor
so bad as to suppress our honest
thoughts, be double faced, act in our
demeanour a silent lie, or throw over.
board principles that a sainted mother
instilled into our young mind. AT
best, sbrief life is here portion
and we have long realized the truth Of
the impressive words-"What shall II
profit q man IL he gains the whole
world, and lose his own SOUL" "Only
the actions Of the just smell sweet and
blossom in the dust" What is the
gift of speech for? To my mind con,
versation is one of principal dis.
tinctions from the brute creation, and
we should endeavor to use speech, as
an instrument of our reason 0nd