The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-09
BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD.

This may be very bad old world. It's true
that good many people are dying to get out Of it.
But it might he great deal worse. After all, the
biggest part of troubles is due to fakes, quack
cries. swindles fcur-tlusles and false alarms;
which is to say that it springs from real causes.
Ard the fact that so many fiimsy deceptons are
discovered should be reason for rcjoicing-what
n dsircssful situation should be in if they re-
mancd uIdetected
There's tremendous amount Of nonsense In
the expressions often heard these days concerning
rottenncss in the of things The poor old
body polite in for vast amount OF SANDER.
In reality If it half as sick as some of its
doctors diagnose it to be ii would be dead and in
suferaGIy delayed beyond burying time. As a
matter OF fact though. VIC are pretty well content
with the old system of things. Otherwise we
should do as humanity has always done when It
chose, bury the old order and create one.
In word. it has always been. is and always will
be up to US 10 regulate the plan of existence.
As Marcus Aurelus observed. the scheme of things
is related to ourselves that we may accom-
modate it to needs.
There few matters not ut I'LL to our liking,
and these. it should be noted. altering. But
the grumber and pcssimst isn't contributing ut
all to the improvement. His business is Just TO
breed discomfort and he himself is one of the
things TO be rid Of. That is the point: unless we
are TO accept this irritating person with the calm
philosophy in which David Harum's dog bore with
his fcaa
\ modicum of optimism is the only thing for the
American people. 1t is a good axiom that nothing
is insupportable which admits of bctterment; and
Marcus Aurelius's observation that existence may
be ordered to fit human requirements is urques-
tionably true in its application TO American life.
These things being so. we cannot reasonably he
otherwise than happy and hopeful and, especially,
purpcscful
Optimism reduced plain working basis
requires that every man live just little outside
of himself. with eye to what is best for every
body. The principal trouble with the kicker or
pessimist is that lie is wholly self-centered and
self-absorbed; the truest mark of narrow mind is
the ease with which it finds fault.
We need no sentimentalists and dreamers but
working ideasts With a fair sprinking of these
our troubles will he mnmized. The "country's
needs are simple enough; plain to the eye Of any,
body who will take the trouble to look. With ref
erence to them working tlealists divide them
selves into two classes: the politicians and the vot-
ers. Clean politics is panacea for all the ills that
have lately provoked the prattle Of pessimists In
fact condition but few degrees nearer the ideal
before the people. Wholesome politics will cure
the trust and tariff evils; it will cure the Doodle
malady 1t lies beneath every other issue
We need 4 few more protagonists in public life
who will cleaye to truth and purity and principle
the sort OF optmsts who cherish our governmental
ideals. men who value politics less, men
with n contempt for party success at the expense
of right And to REINFORCE and uphold such lead
ership we need the educated citizen at the polIs
the man in private life who will look bit beyond
the sphere of his personal activities, who will fol
low with his interest issues affecting the common
veal who will give thought to political maneu
vers, who will bring little Of private intelligence
into public decisions and carry an enlightened vote
to primary and election.
1t is cheering to reflect that we are improving
along both Enthusiastically and citizenship The
public all over the United States generally, is
waking up'-not that 1t ever went to sleep; at
worst it has been but stless and Indifferent With
the public alert politics and politicians improve
inevitably On the whole prospects are excellent
for the optimist and exceedingly dingy for the
pcssimist and carpcr. u
The Washington Post dilates upon The Mission
of Wliiskcrs. The mission of white whiskcrs is to