The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-04-17


l wish to state that in my opinion if
society were to secure all the reforms
for which it is praying and working,
the majority of the people would be so
surprised and angered by the resulting
conditions that they would want to
lynch everybody who had any hand in
the reformation. 1 don't wish to be
understood as being opposed to reform
of all kinds, but simply as being op-
posed to the blind, shortsighted re-
former who thinks his method cure
all for society's ills; who, owing to the
peculiar mental trouble with which he
is afflicted cannot see the inevitable re-
suits that would follow the fruition of
his efforts. l believe nature, in her
good time and way, will work out all
needed reforms, because of her strict
adherence to the law of the survival of
the fittest.
Turning back to my starting point
again, repeat that the value of any
| individual unit in the sum total can
not be judged correctly unless we take
into consideration the results which
would follow were the unit to be dis
carded and an attempt made to substi-
tute some other unit in its place. Ma
ture has so ordained things that even
the cipher is absolutely necessary to
the working out Of the problem called
society. And where a cipher is neces-
sary to the correct working of the
| problem number cannot be used in
its place and true solution arrived at.
Again allow me to repeat that if So
ciety was composed entirely of num-
Der 9's it would be mighty stupid
affair, and would be as impracticable
as an attempt to solve an intricate
problem correctly by using only the
figure mathematicaIIy.
AS matter of curiosity allow me
to work figure problem and show
you the results. Please remember that
all units except the nine are discarded: /:
| take the nine and add another nine
to it which produces eighteen, which
has to be represented by one and an
eight, and as both these units are not
allowed in working the problem | am
baked right at the first move; and
this happens in so simple problem as
common addition. 1t is equally as i'm
possible to multiply, subtract or di-
vide number 9 problem in any man.
ner and arrive at a true solution, and
just as this law holds good in mathe-
matics, it also holds good in the prob
lem called society, no matter how high
in the scale any individual unit may
stand. One unit cannot usurp the
place or perform the functions of any
unit of different degree; hence, any So
cial unit holding a number position
has little cause to strut around and
pat itself on the back or to assume that
it is the whole cheese in the problem.
Therefore let us be honest and give to
the social unit, whether he be nine, a
five, three, or only cipher, that de-
gree of influence and credit which is
really due him as factor in the sum
total OF society.
| In conclusion allow me to say that 1
believe that to no individual is due all
the credit for his influence in the social
problem; neither should he be held
solely responsible for the fact that he
is filling the position of cipher in
stead of a figure 8 in society. I also
believe that every unit in the problem
contributes something towards the true
solution of the problem, and even 90
so far as to claim that I, your humble
servant, have contributed something to
society for which it should give me
credit, tho that something may be only
an example Of how big q fool social
unit may make of itself.
: Coal On Dick.