The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-04-29

Finally. even moro important than
ability 20 work. even more important
than ability 10 tight az need. Is Il to
remember that The chief OF blessings
for ANY nation Is that Il shall leave its
seed TO iuacrit the land. The greatest
~ all curses Is the curse OF sterlity.
and the SevereSt OF an condcmnatlons
should Ice that visited upon wnlfuI
Stcrnity
The hr>t essential 10 any civilization
is that the man and the woman shall
be father and mother Of healthy chill
dren. So that the race shall Increase
aud not decrease. II this Is not SO. IL
through no fault Of the society there
is failure 20 Increase. it is a great mis-
fortune. II the failure is due 10 de
iihcrate aud wiilful fault. then it is
not merely n misfortune: Il Is one OF
those crimes Of ease aud self indul-
geuce. OF shrinking from pain and ef-
Tort and risk. which in the long run
nature puniShes more heavily than any
other.
II we Of the great republics. II We.
the gree people who claim TO have
emancipated ourselves from the thral-
dom OF wrong and error. bring down
on our heads the curse that comes
upon the wilifuuy barren. then fl will
be an idle waste OF breath to prattle
of our achievements. to boast Of all
that we have done
No refinement Of life. no deiicacy OF
taste. no material progress. no sordid
heaping up OF riches. no Sensuous de
velopment or art aud literature. can in
any way compensate for the loss OF
the great fundamental virtues. and OF
these great Fundamental virtues the
greatest is the races power to per
petuate the race.
Mans Chief Duty.
Character must show itself In the
mans performance both Of the duty
lie owes himself and Of the duty he
owes the state. The mans foremost
duty is owed 20 himself and his fam
lily. and he>can do this duty only bv
earning money. by providing what is
essential 90 material well being. II
Is only after this has been done that
De can hope 20 build a higher super.
structure on the solid material foun.
datiou- IL Is only after this has been
done that he can help in movements
Tor the general we'll being.
II Is not good to excite that bitter
laughter which expresses contenpt
and contempt IS what we feel FOR III.
being whose enthusiasm 70 benefit
mankind is such that he is a burden
to those nearest him. who wishes In
90 great things for humanity In the
abstract but who cannot keen his
wife in comfort or educate his chill
drcu.
ctNiinc 70 recognize the mere rnul-
iimiliiouaire. the man Of mere wealth
as an asset Of value to any country
and especially as not an asset to my
own country. II be has earned or
uses his wealth in a way that makes
Aim OF real benefit. Of real use-and
such is often the case--why. then he
does become an asset OF worth. Bur
Il Is the way in which il has been
earned or used and not the mere fact
of wealth that entities him 20 the
credit
There Is need in business. as in most
other forms of human activity. OF the
great guiding intelli-ences. Their
places cannot be supplied by any num-
Ter OF lesser iutelliscnces.
II is bad thing FOR a nation to raise
aud 20 admire false standard Of sue
cess. and there can be no falser stand
ard than thar set 10y the dedication OF
material well being in and for itself
The power Of the journalist is great
but he Is entitled neither 20 respect
nor admiration because of that power
unless IL Is used Alright. He can do.
and he often does. great good. He can
do. and De often does. Infinite mis-
CHEZ All journalists. an writer's. for
the very reason that they appreciate
The vast possibilities Of their profess
sion. should bear testimony against
those who deeply discredlt IL. Of
lenses against taste and morals. which
are bad enough In a private citizen.
are Infinitely worse II made into in
struments fos debauching the com
nunify through n newspaper.
Mendacity. SANDER. senSationallsfn
4HAAliss NNIu IlNlttlLA. all are DO
tent factors for the dcbauchery Of the
public mind aud conscience. The ex-
cuse advanced for vicious writing. that
the public demands il and that the de
mand must b. supplied. can no more
be admitted than II il were advanced
by the purveyors Of food who sell poi
sonous authorizations.
Virtues Of the Household.
The homely virtues Of the household.
the ordinary workaday virtues which
make the woman good housewife
and house mother. which make tue
man a hard worker. n good husband
and father. n good soldier at need.
stand NJ the bottom Of character. But
Of course many others must be added
thereto II a state is 10 he not only free.
but great
Good citizenship IS not good citizen
ship II exhibited only In the home.
There remain the duties OF the indi-
vidual in relation 10 the state. and
these duties are none too easy under
the conditions which exist where the
effort is made to carry on free govern
ment IN q complex Industrial civiliza-
ton.
Perhaps the most important thing
the ordinary citizen. and above all.
thu. loo a ar ,.f ,r.Nfr.-. ..rts.-....