The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-11

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| himself appreciated by whoever Is not in.
sensible to Justice. Every one, when APP
| proaching hin, and seeing his life, Is
obliged 10 turn to himself and ask;
What would have become OF me under
the same circumstances Should 1 have
| that modcsty, that indifference, that
/! probty, which causes ono to act with
! his own as ir 1t belonged to nnother::'
l So long as there Is a world and a human
y society. there will be those harsh con-
. flicts of interest; SO long as envy and
/ cgotism exist OH the earth, nothing Will
/, be more respectable than riches filled
with the spirit OF, simplicity. 1t will do
more than TO win pardon; Il Will win
love 81
More malevolent than pride inspired by
wealth, Is that inspired by power, and
by power ] mean here all powers WHICH ono
man may have over another le therSit Is
great orllittle SEQ no way Of avoiding
that there should DO men In the world
unequaly powerful. All organization sup
poses hierarchy OF forces. We can never
go beyond that But fear that IL the
taste for power Is very widely spread, the
spirit of power will be lost. BY under.
standing 1t badly and by mis,,slngi IT.,
those who hold any parcel Of authority
almost everywhere end by compromising
IT.
Power exercises q powerful influence
over him who holds It. 1t needs strong
hand not to be troubled by It. This sort
OF delnentia, which claimed tho Roman
cmpcrors in the days of their despotic
power Is universal 1nalady, whose
symptoms llavc existed In all ages. \
tyrant sleeps In every man, and only
waits a propitous occasion to awaken.
Now this tyrant Is the worst enemy OF
authority, because he furnishes us an In
tolerable cnrcaturo Of 1t, From there
come multitude of social complications,
frictions and llatreds. All men who have
said, you will do this because 1t is my
wilb'' or better because 1t Is my good
pleasure" do evil work. There is some-
thing III each OF us which invites US
to resist personal power, and this some-
thing is very respectable. For at ..e
bottom We are equal and there is no
person who has the right to exact ODE
dience OF me because lie Is he, and
am l. In this case. his command aliases
me. and it is,not permitted to let ones
self be abased.
One must have lived in schools. studios,
in the admiration Of public offices, to
have followed closely tho relations be-
tween men and servants; to have stopped
n little everywhere where the supremacy
of man Is exercisd over man, to have
an idea of what those do who practice
their power with arrogance Of every
free soul they make q soul enslaved,
that is to say, a soul In revolt And 1t
seems that this terrible anti-soclal effect
is more surely produced when he who
commands Is near the condition Of tho
one who obeys. The most impla cable
tyrant is the small tyrant. A foreman
in a workshop or an overseer. puts moro
6ferocity in his proceedings than the d.
rector or the owner. Such a corporal Is
harder on his soldiers than the colonel.
In certain houses. where madame has not
much more education than her maid.
the relations between them are like those
between a galley-slavc and his guard.
Everywhere woe to whoever falls into tho
hands of u suba!tern, drunk with his
authority.
We forget too much that the first duty
OF whoever exercises power is humility.
Grandeur Is not the authority. It is not
VIC who are the law. The law Is above
all heads. we interpret it only: but 10
make 1t valuable in the eyes Of Others
We must first be submissive to 1t our
selves. Commandment and obedience IN
human society arc, after all. but two
forms Of the same virtue, voluntary SER
ritude. Tie most OF the time VIC are not
obeyed because VIC have not obeycd
first "a
The secret OF moral ascendancy belongs
to those who command with simplicity.
They soften by the mind tho hardness
OF the fact. Their power IS not In gold
lace. nor In the title. nor in disciplinary
measures. They do not require fcrule or
threats, and yet they obtain everything.
Why? Because each one feels that lie Is,
himself, willing to do anything. Tint
which confers on one man the right 10
ask sacrifice OF another man--hls time,
his money, his passions, and even his
Eltfe-is that not only Is no resolved TO
make all those sacrifices himself, he has
lnwardlS made them in advance. In tho
order which Is given by Il man animated
by this spirit there IT,, know not what
power, which Is communicated to him
who should obey, and aids him to do his
duty.
In all the walks OF human activity
there arc chiefs who inspire, sustain
clectrfy ther soldiers. Under their direc-
ton II troop does prodigles. They feel
capable with them OF all efforts, ready
10 go through fire, according to the pop
ular expression. and with enthusiasm
they would pass through It
But there are not only the prides OF the
great; there are also tho prides Of the
small ones that low norgue which is
the worthy pendant OF the higher one.
The root Of these two prides Is Identical.
the man who says. "the law is me-"
Is not only that arrogant and imperot,s
being who provokes Instruction by his
attitude alone; It is still the supaItcrn,
whose wooden head will not admit that
there Is anything above him
| There arc positively n quantity OF pco.
pie whom all superiority irritatey. For
them all advice Is an offense; all criti.
cism an ilnposturc; all orders nm at
A tempt on their liberty. They VIII not
accept any rules; ia respect anything or
4 any one seems to them like mental ;,ber-
ration They say In their manner
aside from VIZ there Is no place for
Ialiy one Tl