Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-08-22

IF / should be asked what is the
greatest thing in the world l should
be inclined to say it is the saving grace
Of knowing ones own business ana
keeping to it. 1 have seen a good deal
of life and I've rarely known it to fail
that the man who can draw the line
between what concerns him and what
does not is the great salvador for most
Of the evils the flesh is heir to. LII
am ever guilty of asking a man to talk
to me about himself hope some OF my
friends will take the cue and put me
out Of harms way" Public men are
always liable to be misqUoted, either
by fat Misrepresentation or by partial
suppressions, and it is to be hoped that
the foregoing alleged report of some
thing that Justice Harlan Of the Uni
ted States Supreme Court said does
him injustice, for If it is true 1t GER
tainly does him no credit. Justice Har-
Ian Is not only great lawyer and
great Judge, but an eminent church
man and Christian. Winding your own
business and letting other peoples bust
ness alone is a purely worldly and
selfish maxim and wholly at variance
not only with Christian principles, but
with humanitarianism. The very corner
stone of Christianity is Gitruism. 1t
teaches not only that we shall do some
thing for the good Of others, but that
we shall sacrifice our own interests
ant Tsn1 m
other people. Christ himself set
the example Of living and dying
for the good Of others. The apos-
tie Paul, who was probably more
like him than any other man that ever
lived, suffered the loss Of all things
and became a homeless wanderer, to
the utter neglect of his own interests,
in order that he might attend to the
business Of other people, How many
millions Of Christians have lived that
way it is impossible to say. Have they
all. gone wrong? Multitudes Of men
who made no pretensions to religion
have been so intent on the general good
of humanity that they have wholly sac
rificed their own business in the effort.
They have persisted in trying to rescue
people from the water or the flames.
They have been prosecuted and slain
for their scientific discoveries. They
have experimental with poison on
their own bodies and lost their lives in
trying to add to the sum of medical
knowledge. Every one Of them deliber
ateIy turned his back on his own bust
ness and devoted himself to the bust
ness of others. To this Justice Harlan
would prbably say "You have wholly
misunderstood me. I only meant to
condemn curious and offensive meddling
in the private affairs Of other people,"
If that was his meaning, Of course
every one will agree with him, but it
would be little hard to put that con-
struction on the words imputed to him,
especially when he intimates that If
he should ever be fool enough to listen
to the troubles of another man he
hopes somebody will kill him. There
was aman once who when he was asked
how he made his money replied: cone
half Of 1t by attending to nay own bust
ness and the other half by letting other
peoples business alone" Certainly
there is great worldly wisdom in such
policy, but people do not need to be
stimulated to it, There Is selfshness
enough in the world already, and the
great need is more men with nublic
spirit, broad sympathies and seIf-sacri-
ticing philanthropy.