Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-12-29

But am none the less moved to in.
sist on this point and to strengthen my
position with examples.
Formerly the means Of communica.
ton between men were considerably
restricted. 1t was natural TO suppose
that in perfecting and multiplying ave.
nues Of information better under.
standing would be brought about. Ma.
tions would learn to love each other as
they became acquainted; citizens of
one country would feel themselves
bound In closer brotherhood as more
light was thrown on what concerned
their common life. When printing was
invented the cry arose, Fiat lux" and
with better cause when the habit of
reading and the taste for newspapers
increased. Why should not men have
reasoned thus 1.-TWO lights illumine
better than one, and many better than
two. The more periodicals and books
there are the better we shall know
what happens, and those who wish to
write history after us will be right
fortunate. Their hands will be full
Of documents" Nothing could have
seemed more evident,
Alas, this reasoning was based upon
the nature and capacity of the instru-
ments without taking into account the
human element, always the most i'm
portant factor! And what has really
come about IL this--that cavilers, ca
lumniators and crooks, all gentlemen
glib of tongue, who know better than
any one else how TO turn voice and pen
to account have taken the utmost adj
vantage Of these extended means for
circulating thought, with the result
that the men OF our times have the
greatest difficulty in the world to know
the truth about their own age and their
own affairs. For every newspaper that
fosters good feeling and good under
standing between nations by trying to
rightly inform It's neighbors and to
study them without reservations, how
many spread defamation ana distrust!
What unnatural and dangerous cur
rents Of opinion set in motion! What
false alarms and malicious interpreta-
lions Of words and facts. And in do
nestle affairs we are not much better
informed than in foreign. AS to com
mcrclnl, industrial and agricultural in
terests, political parties and social
tendencies or the personality of public
men, 1t Is alike difficult TO obtain dis
Interested opinion. The more ncwspa-
pers one reads the less clearly he secs
in these matters. There are days when
after having read them all, and admit
ting that he takes them ut their word,
the reader finds himself obliged to draw
this conclusion: UnqucstionaDly moth
Ing but corruption can be found any
longer; no men of integrity except
few journalists. But the last part of
the conclusion falls in its turn. 1t APP
pears that the chronlclers devour each
other. The reader has under his eyes
n spectacle somewhat like the cartoon
entitled THE Combat of the Serpcnts"
After having gorged themselves with
everything around them the reptiles
fall upon each other and there remain
upon the field of battle two tails,
And not the common people alone
feel this embarrassment, but the cult
waited also; almost everybody shares 1t.
In politics, finance, business, even In
science, art, literature and religion,
there Is everywhere disguise, trickcry,
wire pulling one truth for the public,
another for the initiated. The result is
that everybody Is deceived 1t is vain
to be behind the scenes on one stage.
A man cannot be there on them all,
and the very people who deceive others
with the most ability are in turn de
ceivcd when they need to count upon
the sincerity of their nelghbors.
The result of such practices Is the
degradation Of human speech. 1t Is de-
graded first in the eyes of those who
manipulate ii rs base instrument
No word is respected by sophists,
casusts and quibblers, men who are
moved only Ivy Il rage for gaining their
point or who assume that their inter
cSts nre alone worth considering
Their penalty is to be forced to Judge
others by the rule they follow them
selves say what profits and not what
is true. They can no longer take any
one sCr!2usly-a sad state of mind for
those who write or teach! How light
~ must one hold his readers and hear
ers TO approach them in such an attl-
tude! 70 him who has preserved
enough honesty nothing is more repug-
nant than the careless irony Of an ac-
robat of the tongue or pen who tries
to dupc honest and ingenious men.
On one side opcnnesS, sincerity, the
desire to be enlightened; ON the other,
chicancry making game of the public.
but he knows not, the liar, how far
he is misleading himself, The capital
on which he lives is confidence, and
nothing equals the confidence of the
people unless 1t be their distrust when
once they find themselves betrayed,
They may follow for time the OK
poitcrS of their artlessness, but then
their friendly humor turns to hate.
Doors which stood wide open Offer nm
impossible front OF wood, and cars