The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-03-25
REFLECTIONS some PESTS
GOOD, BAD AND OTHERWISE
They Are Not All Members Of the Insect Tribe Either AL
though There May Be Some Very Strange
Resemblances

but these never ruffle me, because
when a man Is consciously pretty good
company to himself when alone, he
cannot afford to pay much attention
to human frogs, flies and mosquitoes
whose haunts are down in the dismal
swamps where the malaria brings on
such condition that nothing but a
course of mercury and quinine will
do any good, and keep neither on
hand for other people, who might pre-
fer patent medicines.
Well. there are many people of
many tastes in this world and 1t is
fortunate that We do not all see alike
for then ugly men could not get pretty
wives, and homely women would have
to remain in single blessedness, while
the world of thought would stagnate
and the truth he buried in the sep
ulcher of error.
In spite of human flies, mosquitoes
and frogs and such like, l am glad
that live especially in this time of
cfashing thought engaged in conflict
upon the bloodless field of honest in
.vestigation, and more especially in this
land of free thought, free. press, and
grander possibilities than anywhere
else faces the human family. In spite
of all pests it is a goodly time and
goodly place, and am going to stay
just as long as possible, to hope and
work on, even though must toll for
others and get little or nothing out
of life for myself, for would rather
be a star throwing out some rays of
light, or humble flower giving forth
some fragrance, than to be a mere
sponge absorbing to my full and giving
out nothing unless squeezed and COM
PEELED to do so. What a pity more
people do not realize that real life
is constructive for the happiness of
others. and that the highest happiness
of the toiler is found in the reflex in
fluence of unsefish ministry. Many
selfish being with money almost to
throw away, only ministering to self,
is not one whit above a hog with plen-
ty of corn, granting with satisfaction
as he stuffs himself with his holdings,
all unconscious of any higher life of
thought and action than such as meet
his british nature.
Turing from these individual pests
we,find some Of public character, who
are ever in evidence when any great
national interest is up for considera-
ton. These are narrow between the
eyes and can see nothing beyond the
narrow limits of their party and Sec
ton, with no conception of broad
national patriotism which constitutes
the influence which renders cohesive
and conserving the great public and
secures the solidarity of the nation.
No matter If it has been forty and
more years since the civil war and the
people of the south have evinced 10y
atty to the flag and the nation; these
little political pests howl out against
any man or measure bearing the
southern stamp. If the nation is to be
guided and directed by such narrow
minded things as these there is but
little hope of healthful and permanent
development, and of unified movement
to the interest of the whole people,
which is the spirit and intent of sound
government.
The trouble is that these narrow
pests of government are mere creedal
politicians, like some radically creedal
religionists, and would send all who
dare to differ from them to a political
hot place. as disloyal because they
do not happen to think as they in
their assumed infallibility do, and yet
these same men will champion the
cause of the negro upon the basis of
equal liberty under law, and claim
social equality for ignorant brutes,
while minfying the honesty and 10y
atty of the cultivated white people Of
the south. We have to have pests and
there is no use getting out of humor
with them, though it is mighty hard
to be stung by wasp and not think
something any way, even If one does
not say anything, and l must confess
that think about, but don't say much
about those political pests in the up
country.