The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-03-31
REFLECTIONS
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"SURVIVAL of the ittest" is every
mans motto so long as he is able
to keep on top.
THE Smoot investigation seems to
have developed into a case of
"Mormonism with the lid off" and the
smut it lets out is enough to suffocate
all believers in decency.
THERE are those who sympathize
with Japan and some with Russia,
but have yet to hear of anyone SYM
pathizing with Korea. 1t apparently
needs sympathy worse than the others
and may be that's why it doesn't get
it.
A GREAT many men have pull be-
cause they deserve it. They laid
it's foundation in the acquisition of
knowledge and as a result have bust
ness qualifications little more pro-
nounced than in the case of their fell
lows. Their pull is but the reward of
competence.
| 1T must be very gratifying to every
| American to feel that our soldiers
are the best clothed, best fed and bet
ter treated than those of any other
army in the world. Especially when
we read of the brutal treatment &C.
corded the privates in some of the
European armies.
LOOKING backward is sometimes a
good way of acquiring strength to
overcome our weaknesses. Where is
the man who can contemplate the
scenes of his boyhOod without having
the fire of his soul kindled with new
courage and effort to whip the enemy
that has brought him down?
THERE is one way in which everyone
here can contribute to the worlds
progress and that is by improving his
mind. Time, of which we have plenty,
is hard to spend, but it can be spent
wisely in the reading of good literature.
Books are as free as water, but we
should read only the best. Between
their covers we find riches Of knowI-
edge, treasures of truth, a wealth of
grace and beautiful thoughts, all for
the enrichment of the mind They
open our eyes to the wonders of the
past and present and often give us a
glimpse of the future. Read all you
can, read anything that possesses the
merit of being either sensible or
humorous. If it has nett her of these
qualities put it down as pure rot and
chuck it into the waste basket.
THE fact that an Eastern college
professor named links advocates a
system of peonage for laborers does
not make it right 1t simply puts him
on a par with the Southern slave driver
and the English lawmakers who have
legalized the system. It also proves
that these college professors can say
some pretty foolish things. Our friend
S. D. will please note, however, that
while peonage has been practiced IN
the South it is against the law and
those who violate it are being punished.
Not for an instant would the American
people tolerate such legal measure as
has received the sanction of the British
Parliament. AS for this dinky profess
sor, he cannot be an American.
| ANY one who has read this column
knows that the writer is not a
Russian sympathizer. Like the poet,
he has with voice and pen been fighting
for the plucky little Japs and will con-
tinue to do so. But let us be fair and
give credit where credit is DUE Evil
IDENTIFY this is not the intention of 1888
, when he says that Russia did not send
a feet of warships to this country
during the Rebellion. As he seems to
be quite historian, the following bit
of history should interest him.
"a Russian squadron appeared in
New York harbor September "a, 1868,
for an indefinite stay. Admiral Les
soffsky was in command of the squad
) ron, which included the steam frigates
, Osliaba, Peresveit and Alexander
Newsky. the corvettes Variag and
Vitiaz and three clipper ships. A short
time afterward Russis's Asiatic feet
, appeared in the harbor of San Francis