The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1907-10-04

the loins of the same people, living
only a little farther south, sprang
another of our greatest presidents,
Andrew Jackson, Old Hickory Ia
man who made mistakes, like most
strong men, but a man of iron will
and incorruptible integrity, fearless,
upright, devoted to the welfare Of
his countrymen, bone of our bone
and flesh OF our flesh, a typical Am
erican if ever there was one.
A Cure for Pessimism
IT commend careful reading of
Martin Chuzzlewit to the pessimists
of today; to the men who, instead
of fighting hard to do away with
abuses while at the same time losing
no jot of their buoyant hopefulness
for the country insist that all our
people, socially and industrially, in
their private lives no less than as
politicians, newspaper men, and bus
mess men, are at a lower ebb than
ever before. If ever any one Of you
feels a little downcast over the PEI
culiarly gloomy view Of the present
taken by some well-meaning pessim-
ist of today, you will find 1t a real
comfort to read Martin Chuzzlewit,
to see what well-meaning pessimist
of the past thought Of our people
sixty-five years ago; and then think
of the extraordinary achievement,
the extraordinary gain, morally no
less than materially, Of those sixty
five years. Dickens can be read by
us now with profit; Elijah Jogram,
Hannibal Chollop, Jefferson Brick
and Scadder5 have their representa-
tives today, plenty of them; and the
wise thing for us to do is to recog-
nize that these are still types of evil
in politics, journalism, business, and
private life, and to war against them
with all our hearts. But it is rank
folly to regard these as the only, or
the chief, types in our national life.
1T was not of much consequence
whether Dickens made such an error
or not, but it would be of great
consequence if we ourselves did; for
a foolish pessimism is an ever great
er foe of healthy national growth
than a foolish optimism. It was not
that Dickens invented characters OF
scenes that had no basis in fact; on
the contrary, what he said was true,
as far as it went; the trouble was
that out Of many such half truths he
made picture which as a whole was
absurd; for often half truth Is the
most dangerous falsehood. 1t would
be simply silly to be angry over
Martin Chuzzlewit;; on the contrary
read it, be amused by it, profit by 1t;
and don't be misled by it. Keep 9
lively watch against the present-day
Pograms and Bricks; but above all
|distrust the man who would persuade
you to feel downhearted about the
country because Of these same Po'
grams and Bricks, past or present. 4
would be foolish to ignore their ex'
listence, or the existence Of anytime
else that is bad in our national lie
but it would be even more foolish
I to ignore the yaster forces that tel
for Righteousness. Friends, there i
every reason why we should figh'
whatever Is evil in the present. Bu
There also is every reason why w
should feel a sturdy and confiden
/ hope Tor the future. There are man!
wrongs to right; there are many ant
4 powerful wrong doers against whom
4 TO war; and It would be base 7
i shrink from the contest, or to fai
Ito wage it with high. resolut'
/ wiIl. But / am sure that we shai
j. win III the contest, because / know
4 that the heart OF our people Is SOUND
j our average men and women ar
Il good men and women and this
true IN all sections of our countr' count l
i and among all classes OF our coun
trymen. There Is no other nation O
4 .Iearth with such vast natural e
/. sources, or with such a high stand
a ard Of living and Of industrial eh
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