Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-02-02

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making Of his wealth a barrier to sep
arate him from other men: he makes 1t
means for coming nearer and nearer
to them. Although the profession OF
riches has been SO dishonored by the
selfish and the proud, such a man as
this always makes his worth felt by
every one not devoid OF sense Of Jus
tice. Each OF us who comes in contact
with him and sees him live is forced TO
look within and ask himself the Ques-
ton, What would become Of me In
such q situation-should I keep this
modeSty, this naturalness, this upright
ness which uses its own as though 1t
belonged to others" So long as there
Is human society In the world, so long
as there are bitterly conflicting inter
ests, SO long as envy and egoism exist
on the earth, nothing will be worthier
Of honor than wealth permeated by the
spirit of simplicity. And 1t will do
more than make itself forgiven; 1t will
make itself beloved.
More dangerous than pride inspired
by wealth is that inspired by power,
and mean by the word every preroga-
tive that one man has over another, be
1t unlimited or restricted. I see no
means OF preventing the existence in
the world Of men Of unequal authority
Every organism supposes a hierarchy
Of powers; we shall never escape from
that law. But I fear that IL the love
Of power is SO widespread the spirit of
power is almost impossible to find.
From wrong understanding and mis-
use Of it those who keep even a frac-
ton of authority almost everywhere
succeed in compromising 1t.
Power exercises a great influence
over him who holds 1t. A head must
be very well balanced not to be dis
turbed by It. The sort Of dementia
which took possession Of the Roman
emperors in the time Of their world
wide rule is universal malady whose
symptoms belong to all times. In ev
cry man there sleeps a tyrant await
ing only favorable occasion for wax
ing. Now, the tyrant is the worst en-
emy of authority. because he furnishes
us Its intolerable caricature whence
come a multitude of social complica-
tions, collisions and hatreds. Every
man who says to those dependent on
him, "Do this because 1t Is my will and
pleasure" does Ill. There Is within
each one of us something that invites
us to resist personal power, and this
something is very respectable, for at
bottom we are equal, and there is no
one who has the right to exact obedi-
ence from me because he is he and
am l. If he does so his command de-
grades me, and have no right to suf-
fer myself to be degraded.
One must have lived In schools, in
workshops, in the army. in government
offices, he must have closely followed
the relations between masters and
servants, have observed little every
where where the supremacy Of man
exercises itself over man, to form any
idea of the injury done by those who
use power arrogantly. OF every free
soul they make a slave soul. which Is
to say the soul of rebel. And 1t ap-
pears that this result, with its social
disaster, is most certain when he who
commands Is least removed from the
station of him who obeys. The most
implacable tyrant is the tyrant himself
under authority. Foremen and over
seers put more violence into their deal
ings than supef1ntendents and employ
ers. The corporal Is generally harsher
than the colonel. In certain families
where madam has not much more ed
ucation than her maid the relations be-
tween them are those of the convict
and his warder. And woe everywhere
to him who falls into the hands Of q
subaltern drunk with his authority!
We forget that the first duty of him
who exercises power is humility.
Haughtiness is not authority. II is not
we who are the law; the law Is over
tlr heads. We only interpret 1t, but to
make it valid in the eyes Of others we
must first be subject to 1t ourselves.
of men are, after all, but two forms of
the same virtue-voluntary servituee.
III you are not obeyed, 1t is generally
because you have not yourself obeyed
first.
The secret of moral ascendency rests
with those who rule with simplicity.
They soften by the spirit the harshness
OF the fact. Their authority Is not In
shoulder straps, titles or disciplinary
measures They make use Of neither
ferule nor threats, yet they achieve ev-
erything. Why? Because we feel that
they are themselves ready for every
thing. That which confers upon man
the right to demand of another the sac
rifice of his time, his money, his pas
sions. even his life, Is not only that he
Is resolved upon all these sacrifices
himself, but that he has made them In
advance. In the command or man
animated by this spirit Of remuneration
there is n mysterious force which COM
municates itself to him who liz to obey
and helps him do his duty.
In all the provinces of human actfvi-
ty there are chiefs who inspire,
strengthen, magnetic their soldiers;
under their direction the troops do
prodigles. With them one feels himself
capable Of any effort, ready to 60
through fire, as the saying has II, and
II he goes Ii In with enthusiasm.
But the pride of the exalted Is not the
only pride; there Is also the pride of
the humble-this arrogance OF under
lings, fit pendant to that Of the great.
The root Of these two prides In the
same. 1t is not alone that lofty and
imperious being, the man who says.
IL am the law" that provokes fnsur-
rection by his very attitude; 1t 10 also
that pigheaded subaltern who will not
admit that there Is anything beyond
his knowledge.
There are really many people who
find all superiority Irritating. For them
every piece OF advice Is an offense, ev-
cry criticism an imposition. every order
an outrage on their liberty. They would
not know how to submit to rule. To
respect anything or anybody would
seem to them n mental alteration.
They say to people after their fashion,
Beyond us there Is nothing"
To the family of the proud belong also
those difficult and supersensitive peo
pie who In humble life find that thelr
superiors never do them fitting honor
whom the best and most kindly do not
succeed In satisfying and who go about
their duties with the air OF a martyr
At bottom these disaffected minds have
too much misplaced self respect. They
do not know how to fill their place sim
ply but complicate their life and that