Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-03-26
GINGER snaps
BY "a. II. t."


scribcd with India ink on the calf of
his leg, SO that he could read it ev-
cry night on getting into bed. The
idea is good one. Most of the peo-
pie who honestly embark in the Vir-
tue business would do well to follow
the Captains example, for they are
prone to expect too much. The most
thankless task this world affords is
the exercise of the virtue of serving
the masses. John Swinton resigned
$1,000 n year editorship on the New
York Sun to start paper that would
distinctly serve the cause OF the peo-
p1e The Union men who worked in
his print shop helped themselves free
ly to copies of his paper for them
selves and their friends without offer
ing a cent of compensation, and when
he took on an apprentice boy too
MANY for the Union rules, the Union
turned and made war upon him. Such.
and other little gratis" Chat a null
titudc OF men ever stand ready to IN
dulpe in at the expense of those who
would help them). were told TO me
bv Mrs Swinton herself. Although
Myron Reed talked to congregations
Of 5000 people every Sunday in the
Broadway Temple in Denver, the col
lections taken tip only averaged $40
Sunday. What Myron got for his
work was paid by about tx well-to-
do and admiring friends. And whose
heart ever beat warmer for the eN-
plotted majority than did Myron
Reeds? When Jesus of Nazareth
came to the end of his three years OF
agony over the miscries of the multi
tude his sublimcly expiring prayer
had to be: Father forgive them for
they know not what they do" But
worse than that even was the final
,dcsolation OF soul that voiced itself in
the despairing cry: My God, My God.
Why hast Thou forsaken me! Most
of the worlds reformers have died
Virtue isn't its own sufficient Reward
for YOU, you had better stay out of
the Virtue promoting business.
Carlyle is credited with making the
remark: England has thirty millions
of people. mostly damn fools" l
know that Carlyle was a little dyspcp-
tic at times, but a dyspcptic can some
times tell the truth about both other
folks and himself, If he is in crowd
where he feels he can be candid. One
would suppose on hearing the sort OF
popular criticism passed upon men
who volunteer to do the community
work for the community that they
were running a private enterprise and
ought to have printed on their call
ing cards the familiar sign: "lf we
don't please you tell us, il we do tell
other folks" Nay, more than that:
they ought to give prediction
guarantee of a plentiful supply OF
water for everybody; and agree not
to kick when anybody steals a large
part OF what they use Graft is
good thing for the private citizen but
bad in an offcc-holdcr: and to put on
water-metcrs is a sad reflection on
the morals OF the people not in Office.
Because Virtue is chiefly its own
Reward. the man who has made
goodly circle of business or proies-
sional friends, and is living on rea-
sonably good terms with his wife. is
inclined to thrust the crown aside
when the emotional crowd tenders ii.
And unless he has the strcnuosity OF
a Roosevelt and the Don't-care-a-
damnitiveness OF an Ebert Hubbard
he is wise to seek the rewards OF vir-
tue in fields where he can preach
without having to practice.
This community having been cdu-
Gated up to pretty general convlc-
ton that whiskcy as an article for
indiscriminatc consumption is n mis-
take. both for this world and any
other. we are ready to make water
the battle cry OF the present CAM
paign and to get almost as intempcr-
ate in our statements about it as
we can on the other beverage.