The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-06-24
P RAISE.

and other sociological and philosophical
writer's on the subject of praise are really
to be summed up in the shrewd and pat
sentence of Doctor Johnson's, "Just praise
is only debt, but 1attery is present.
The right and judicous distribution OF praise
and commentator in the world is the art
of managing the world justly. The rule
holds from the earliest days in the kinder
garten to the realm of craftsmanship; from
the intimate concerns OF the family to
world politics. The smallest child looks
eagerly for appreciation, and the baby IN
arms, before it can walk, begins to be con-
trolled by the approval of its action by its
mother The greatest men in the world
are not raised above the desire for praise.
In truth, it is the one thing which moves
the very noblest sort, whom money cannot
buy nor power corrupt. For what are fame
and glory, the plaudits of the world and
the favorable verdicts of history, but praise?
A wise man has said that what person
praises is perhaps a surer standard, even
than what he condemns, of his character,
information and abilities. The distribution
of praise is test of mans honesty,
breadth, frankness and fairness. Some
people are always looking for defects and
cannot find the merit. The habit of peer
ing for evil becomes confirmed, and the
critic becomes a housing person who an
noys, disgusts, outrages others, and by his
influence retards effort by engaging the
objects of the criticism because they know
that it is unjust.
1t is impossible to please man who is
determined not to be pleased. He is in
jaundced, warped, unhealthy state of
mind. The weather is always just the kind
he does not want; the coffee is too cold,
but if it is hot it is too hot; whatever is
done by his wife and children is done
wrong, if done without his knowledge; the
d tree is pleasant enough to have in the front
yard but look at the litter made by the
leaves, says he; Brown is good enough
fellow, but why will he wear blue neckties?
the boys got pretty fair mark in the
average, but William is wearing his shoes
out too fast: the cook did pretty we'll the
last time company was here, but the din
ner we had on last Christmas was better
one. In short, the ice is too cold and the
water is too wet.
Sidney Smith writes beautifully and
justly of our duty in praising:
''Among the smaller duties of life, l
hardly know any one more important than
that of not praising where praise is not due.
Reputation is one of the prizes for which
men contend; it produces more labor and
more talent than twice the wealth of a
country could ever rear up. 1t is the coin
of genius, and it is the imperious duty of
every man to bestow it with the most
scrupulous justice and the wisest econo-
N.Y.
That is the other side of the shield-not
to throw praise away on the unworthy and
to debase its value. The man who with
holds commentator when it is clealy due
is of a nggardly and mean disposition and
foe to progress and justice, and those
who give praise where there is no merit
make praise worthless and cheat the worthy
''Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its
value to its scarcity. 1t becomes cheap as
it becomes vulgar (common), and will nc
longer raise expection or animate enter.
prise In brief, he who "praises every
body praises nobody
The value of praise to the recipient, and
as a stimulus to effort, depends upon the
discrimination and justice with which it is
awarded. Adam Smith, the political econo-
mist, declared that only the most frivolous
and superficial of mankind can be much
delighted with that praise which they them.
selves know to be altogether unmerited
The careless and unmerited praise is fell
by the intelligent object of it to be ar
injustice, in that it robs the really meritori
Gus of the need which is their due; anc
those who have done admirably feel that
double wrong has been done them wher
they are passed over in neglect while the
doubtful are showered with approval.
Sydney Smith spoke of the giving o.
praise as one of the small duties of life
but in truth it is one of the great duties
which begin in the home with the younges
children, and extend in every relation O.
life to nearly every activity of mankind
The awarding of praise is the application
of public and private opinion to almos
every individual and social and politica
action. The right test of the intelligence