The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-02-23
Of the good Samaritan. 1 fntrencn my
self behind his authority
CHAPTER ".


CHAPTER ".
SIMPLICITY OF SPEECH.
~PEECH is the chief revelation Of
the mind, the first Visible form
that it takes. As the thought
- so the speech, To better ones
life in the way Of simplicity one must
set a watch on his lips and his pen.
Let the word be as genuine us the
thought, as artless, as valid. Think
justly, speak frankly.
All social relations have their roots
in mutual trust, and this trust is main
tanned by each mans sincerity once
sincerity diminishes. confidence is
weakened, society suffers apprehen-
sion is born. This is true in the prov
ince Of both natural and spiritual inter
ests. With people whom we distrust
it is as difficult to do business as to
search for scientific truth, arrive al
religious harmony or attain to justice
When one must first question words
and intentions and start from the pre-
mise that everything said and written
is meant to offer Us Illusion in place Of
truth. life becomes strangely complcat-
ed This is the case today. There is
so much craft, Sc much diplomacy. 81,
much subtle legerCcmain. that We q.
/ have no end ~ trouble to inform ou-
selves on tho simplest subject and IL,
one that most concerns rs. Probably
what have iuel said would su. i,n &.
show my thought. au elrl pne's cSpe
rienee might bring TO its support an
/ ample commentary with Illustrations.
But l 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
mes Of Information Il better undel.
| standing would be brought abOu& Ma
5ions would learn to love each other as
| they became acquainted; citizens OF
one country would feel themselves
| bound in close" brotherhood as more
| light was thrown on what concerned
| their common life. when printing was
! invented The cry arose, Fiat lux anG
with better cause when the habit OF
reading and the taste for newspapers
increased. Why should not men have
| reasoned thus: 'Two lights ilIuminC
better than one, and many better thar
! two. The more periodicals ami book,
! there are the better we shall know
! what happens, and those who wish tt
| write history after rs will be righ
fortunate. Ineir hands wiz be full
! of documents Nothing could have
seemed more evident
! Alas, this reasoning was based upsa
the nature and capacity Of the iHsu1l
ments without taking into account the
human element, always the most jim.
| portaut factor, And what has really
come about is this-that cavilerS, ca
| Iumniators and crooks, ali 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. Fer every newspaper that
fosters good feeling and good under-
standing between nations by trying to
rightly inform its neighbors and to
study them without reservations. how
many spread defamation and distrust,
What unnatural and dangerous cur
rents Of opinion set in motion. What
false alarms and malicious interpreta-
tons Of words and facts. And in do
nestle affairs we are not much better
informed than in foreign. AS to COM
mercial, industrial and agricultural in
terestS, political parties and social
tendencies or the personality of public
men, it is alike difficult to obtain a dis
interested opinion. The more newspa-
perS one reads the less clearly he sees
in these matters. There are days when
after having read them all, and admit
ting that he takes them at their word,
the reader finds himself obliged to draw
this conclusion: UnQuestionably moth
ing but corruption can be found any
longer; no men of integrity except 4
few journalists But the last part of
the conclusion falls in its turn. 1t APP
pears that the chroDiclerS devour each
other. The reader has under his eyes
| q spectacle somewhat like the cartoon
entitled THE Combat of the Serpents. "
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 it.
In politics, finance, business, even in
science, art, literature and religion,
there is everywhere disguise, tricllery,
wire pulling-One truth for the public,
another for the Initiated The result is
that pVp,.vbOJv is 6aooiyeE If 10 va IN,