Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-08-14
THE KICKER.
(Westmoreland Inouirer.l }

Inc mule Is kicker; gasoline engine
is kicker sometimes; that little mite
parents think the world of (the baby)
is a kicker; and every mother and
father knows the uncomfortableness on
cold winter night, when they awake
and find baby has kicked all the blankets
on the floor. Kicking is an inherited
disease, and there are but few persons
free from the malady. When you wore
dresses you used to kick because you
did not get more candy than your little
brother or sister; you did not care for
the heart-aches and anxieties of your
parents as long as your wishes were
satisfied. Don't you remember how
you kicked because mother wouldn't let
you go fishing. or father wouldn't let
you go swimming. You were deter
mined to have your way regardless of
wishes of your parents, and kept your
self always in ''stew" about some
thing.
The word kicker has q national
significance; it is applied to every voca-
tion of life, from the President down.
1t has become chrome disease, and
the one who does not kick is out of
fashion; we heard lady kicking"
the other day because she discovered
her hat was on crooked. Kicking is
one of the most loathsome diseases one
is heir to; it is difficult of cure, and
when it becomes chronic" il is more
loathsome than smallpox or leprosy.
Who likes to be in company with the
''chronic kicker?" Sometimes even the
kicker himself gets disgusted with others
and shakes" their company until an
other time.
There are times when one is compelled
to kick, but don't be so indiscreet as to
kick all the covers off, babies and mules
are alike in that respect. When you
kick, all kick together, and kick for a
right and honorable course. Individual
kicking is only necessary when you're
in swimming. and then you immitate
the baby who lies on the floor.
Chronic kicking is disgusting, and
seldom anything is accomplished by it.
1t always has an unpleasant something
about it that is akin to disease; it is
nauseating. Yet, there are times when
one is forced to kick; he is even driven
into it, like horse when you place a
bur under his tail. He kicks but moth
ing is accomplished save broken dash
board or broken friendship. We have
seen men who never have an encourage
ing word to say of any public enterprise:
the only time they are satisfied is when
they are Kicking. Did such people ever
accomplish anything? One may give
his opinion about thing and yet not
be kicker; opinions are valuable, but
there never lived the man who "knows
it ALL" There are always two sides to
every question. The kicker is the one
who says he is right and the rest are
all wrong. Opinions must be backed
by facts to make them strong. but argu-
ment for arguments sake is only loss
of time, and no knowledge gained, and
is therefore like the mule-kicking in
the air. knowledge is only gained by
the exchange of opinions. and from
them the best is taken and the rest
refused.
No great things were ever accom-
plished without the exchange of opin-
ions in calm and conservative manner.
Buster and blows count for nothing.
Great discoveries of modern times were
not made by the chronic kicker;''
they are the result of an exchange oi
ideas. Then, before you kick be sure
you have good reasons for doing it.