Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-04-04
10 McDILL'S MUSINGS.
OPTIMISM.


The satisfied do nothing dissatisfaction is
the stimulous to achievement. Satisfaction is
destruction, and leads to the chamber CT death.
All this is not orthodox, but this is not the
DAY Of orthodoxy We even have TO ny IN the
face OF Paul. the apostle, for Paul taught that
men were to be content with such things as
thew had Possibly it is not flying in the face
of Paul, but, rathe-, in the faces OF the
preachers. If Paul meant that men were to
be satisfied with wrong conditions, he taught
what no one practices who is worthy the name
of man.
All intelligent people who have any snap are
never satisfied. The best farmers strive tor
better stock and larger yields of grain. The
best teachers. ..aim to go up higher in making
schools more efficient. The physician delves
deeper into causes of disease, and is continually
adding to the knowledge that contributes to
the better health of the human family. The
inventors are unsatis6ed, and display their dis
content in new discoveries and in the construc-
tiou of new machines. Even the lawyer-poli-
ticiau labors hard to create more Offices to be
ing about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he
may devour.
The satisfied is either as stupid as pig or is
as porged an anaconda with mule IN his
stomach.
Good things never come in full doses-do
not sprng into existence full-growp. Even
trusts have had to have time and the assistance
of the greatest government on earth. The
trusts are still growing, the same as the Devil
is still roaring. The farmers have fine cattle,
but they are still making improvements. The
teacher of fifty years ago would not know the
teacher of to-day, so great is the advance, but
the teacher of to-day has FIVE times the push OF
the teacher Of fifty years ago.
The unsatished is an optimist of the first
water. He believes that nothing is good enough
for man till he has reached the topmost round
of perfection. He sees the roaring lion in the
path OF progress, and bravey engages in the
UNEQUAL contest of bare hands to sharp tee h.
He never lies in the mud and filth OF small
pens unless he has to, and when he has to, you
can hear him squeal for the distance OF mile
He never snakes around on his belly, stealing
marches on sleeping jackasses. The optimist
is friend of the jackass and enemy to the
filthy pig-p pen. He would not eat the jackass,
but use him, and he would cleanse the hogs.
Now as to orthodoxy: 1t stands TO reason
that man is not to be conten. with such things
as he has so long as they can De improved Up
on, and we are rever to believe that things
caunot be improved upon until we have tried
and failed.
There is no such word in the vocabulary of
the optimist as 81 cantn OF "mpossibe."
Try, try again, and keep on trying. When
his squeals are loudess is the time when he is
making the struggle oi his life to better his
condition.
The optimist is not all unbeliever i'll Paul.
He follows Paul's example. Panl was all awful
souealer. He and few more men like him
waged war on a wnrId stepped III wickedness.
Thpse men bad extraordinary etts.in courage
"a iufuerce. Not one Of them was content
g satisfied, and they all foresaw tue [ New
eN