The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-12-17
TWO CoNItNDING FORCES.

TWO CONTtNDING FORCES.
In the great battle of life there
are two contendlng forces ever
striving for mastery, the individ.
ual and society. Society, says an
esteemed contemporary, is a collec-
ton of llkeminded individuals unit
ed for the common interest, which,
having in view, theoretically at
least, the greatest good to the great
est number. Who says society,
therefore, says civilization-that is,
the reign of law and moral order.
Under its protecting wings all the
virtues are found, including prin-
cipally the virtue of altruism-a
virtue that many of its members
practice in every relation Of life
in the privacy Of the home as well
as in the market place. If follows
that the betterment of society pred
icates the doing of our duty to our
selves and our families, and our
country.
A state will never march along the
highway of progress unlese the peo-
pie as a majority possess these
qualifications. That they are, on a
whole, the most priceless gems in
the crown of Mississippi is our hon.
est and firm conviction; for in spite
of our temptation at times to forget
them amidst our undoubted oppor-
tunities to plumber our weaker
brothers, as is done in states less
rich in material resources, we have
chosen to place the common wei
fare above Individual benefits and,
with altruism as u guiding star,
might well boast that there is not
within u borders today "a single
millionaire or pauper.'
Opposed to this virtue is egotism
"a vice not uncommon in Amer
lean public and private life. The
egotist believes in self -aggrandise-
ment regardless of the harm he may
do the State. In his blind selfish
ness he becomes a destructive force
in every church, in every army, and
in every State. In order to pre-.
serve the integrity of society it
must, through all the better and
nobler elements, wage a relentless
war against the egotist.
Whence comes that feeling where
by one man thinks himself better
than another-that feeling called
vanity. 1t originates in that pride
through which the angels fell" It
reveals itself also in perhaps it's
most destructive form in those
minds who strive to push them
selves on the tog in political life at
the expense of their worthier fellows.
Such sinister and valn-glorious
politicians are universally dem
agogues. They have no interest in
principles. With speedy appetites
they feed at the public cribs, real
parasites, and pander to the pas
sions and prejudices of the unthink-
ing part of the electorate, holding
the opinion that their noble ends
sufficiently justify the illicit means
they employ. They at heart ever
despise the common people whom
they too frequently succeed in de-
ceiving. They also faunt in the
faces of the humblest citizens "the
~insolence of office"
Let us practice the virtue of al
truism and shun the vice of ego
tism. Let Us be upbuilders and not
wreckers. Then we will lead the
way to a higher and nobler destiny.
Our city can boast of one of the
best, uptodate and most thorough
school systens in the state. The
time is drawing near when the au-
thorities will have to erect another
school building. Their past history
has been one that reflects glory AMI
credit upon our life. May they ever
prosper.
As evidence of Greenwood's pros
perity there are now under way of
construction fifteen business houses