Okolona messenger., 1903-07-15

more m@uAAChA hAhN AMeAH N@N'~ w.
imagine the entire burden Of state
and nation is resting upon the should
ers of certain self-conscious individ-
uals In every community. The sage
Of the street corner gets the idea into
his head that il be does not carefully
whisper in the ear Of every neighbor
that passes him by just how he must
vote, the country is going smack upon
rock and there perish. This sage
really reads as little and knows less Of
the real issues before the public or the
demands Of the hour than any school
boy in the community, yet he is all
wise and never firing in his daily
solicitude Of those about him whom he
feels he must Inform or they will go
astray. There is another individual
in your community who has been
made conspicuous by the fact that he
has been enabled to travel over the
country some and his attendance
upon national gatherings or contact
with men from various sections, he
has gained the distinction among his
immediate neIghbers that he is really
a great man. Sometimes in his move
ments, be even has spied some hon
orable position looking in his direc-
tion, and he has had several narrow
escapes of being called as a banner
carrier in some great move. In his
wise eye he has educated himself In
the delusion that he Is superior in
intellect and greater in public know
ledge than any Of his neighbors.
Some newspaper, probably in jest
and may be in the spell of the same
delusion that he has been deluded by,
has probably suggested that this is
great man lying dormant in his
rural seclusion, and that to take him
up and push him a little would only
be to discover a Moses OF the most
renowned modern stamp Then there
is 3 visible swelling about the head
and even his movements on the
streets of his home town, where he
usually has two enemies to one friend,
for obvious reasons, are of a stiff and
well studied gait, calculated to signal
him out to the stranger IS one Of
the salts of the community. It is to
such a man as this that eYrey ordi-
nary, usually dependent citizen goes
for advice. He is asked his opinion
on various subjects and In his we'll
studied pose responds in such manner
as to assure the ignorant of bis wis
dom. When questions of national
import are being discussed, this great
man is usually quiet, only responding
in brief words when approached, for
he has been around some, and ls real
ly not wholly ignorant of bis own
ignorance. He is content to Just have
enough to say to impress those who
constantly seek bis opinion, that he Is
all wise. But let little home circle
scandal commence to shoulder and
this character is there johnnie on the
spot. The home scandal is bis long
suit. He knows everybOdy's secrets,
has been in many closets and seen the
skeletons there. No matter how
black his own character may be, his
heart is blacker still, and If 8 refec-
ton is made upon some one he dis
likes, and he really disllkes everybody
who does not pay homage to his
greatness and bow to him on the
streets, he is busy as a ward heeler
for the next ten days. He listens to
all the stories that are rscited within
bis hearing, quietly suggests that even
that is but q part of all that might be
offered, and goes from one side to the
other, processing friendship for each
and in reality seeking to destroy both
parties to the controversy. This is
the individual whom his dupes are
always suggesting that be should
have been honored long ago with high
positions of honor and trust. The
real facts may be that he should have
been honored q dozen times with a
coat of tar and feathers. In local
politics aspirants often fear this man
as they would fear q rsttlesnske.
They hesitate to announce their aspir-
atoms without securing his advice in
the premises, and getting bis assur-
ance that It is the proper thing for
them to do. To the modest plodder,
this man is the reincarnation Of
Thomas JeffersoH, and through this
delusion be is often enabled to wreck
homes and destroy individuals. All
towards are as afraid as death of this
man, while those who know bis true
instinct and nature, hold him in such
contempt that they avoid any contact
with him. While this character Is
strongly portraid, it is not Overdrawn
and every community has one of the
species. II you have not noticed the