Norwich bulletin., 1910-09-24

written Specially for The Bulletin.)
There isn't much doubt about it, that
we are all born selfish. Babies and
young children are always greedy little
things. The baby wants everything
rsthn reach, primarily to eat but. If
that instinct is fully satisfied, baby
wants it, Just the same. Wants it to
throw away or break. if for no other
purpose. And wants it for himself,
doesn't want anybody else to have any
fhing: toys, candy, green apples, hatch
cts or hot fatirons-all are peremptor-
Sly demanded by His Small Majesty,
and he must have EN- If you want to
avoid a riot. Very often, it may be
noted in passing. you have the riot
whether he gets 'em or not.
st. Paul owns up that when he was
q child. he acted like one, as we all do;
But" he goes on, ''wnen became "a
That's where ST. Paul gives us bunch
and sets us an example. He doesn't
say that he gave them up when he be-
came converted or when he Joined the
Church--put them away when8 he be-
came a man. The plain inference is
that childish things, such as selfish
ness and greed, don't go with manhood.
They are pardonable, perhaps useful
and natural. in babyhood. but they
don't consist with manhood. 1 think
we-ll all agree with Paul in this, as an
abstract proposition, a sort Of ethical
theory.
But what's tho good of abstract
PROPOSITIONS and ethical theories if
they never get out of the theoretical
fog bank? If we never or seldom build
them up into our lives in actual fact?
What earthly good would it do us to
learn the admitted truths of the multi
plication table, If We never put them
into practice? l suppose the moral
import of the Ten Comman dments
would be just the same if you learned
them by rote in Choctaw, but 1 don't
suppose your ability to repeat them
3n Choctaw at the gate of the New
Jerusalem would be anything like as
good a passport by St. Peter, as your
having lived them in plain English.
And the simple, sorrowfuI truth is
that whole lot of US have not yet
arrived at manhood and womanhood
IN this matter Of greed and selfishness.
We are still in the childish state where
we want everything within reach
and a few hundred things that are out
Of reach. What do L get out of this %
That is the question which too many
of US always ask first, when confront
ed with any new proposition. If there
isn't anything it it, for us we lose
interest very promptly. Worse than
that we begin to nose around sus-
piciously to see who is going to get
q little honest graft out Of 1t. We
are so greedy, ourselves, that we take
u for granted every other human be-
ing Is, and must be actuated by our
spirit Of greed.
I've been reading some of the dis
eusting testimony adduced in the New
York graft investigation, Say, it's
enough TO make q horse sicI-enough
anyway to make a man blush, for these
we'll dressed, sleek gentlemen who
had TO be paid before they would do
their duty-paid sometimes to pre-
vent them from blackmail or extortion.
One witness who handled the corrup-
ton funds for big corporation. half
5estingly admitted that they gave
money regularly to all parties and to
almost all candidates: About every
body who ran for office got his plurn.'
Fad bills were introduced into the
legislature that members might be
bought of from passing them. good
bills were held UP" in committees till
the committees were paid for "accel-
legislature seem to have been those of
a piggery; gobble- gobble, grunt grunt.
But there wasn't any special use in
getting mad over the greed of some
politicians in some other state. These
New York swine couldn't have got
into the Legislature unless the people
had elected them. And it's too absurd
20 suppose that all who voted for them
were misled into thinking them pub
lic-spirited statesmen. A stream will
never rise higher than it's source:
these grafters must have represented
and unquestionably did represent a
big and influential part of their con-
stituents. They were not the only
greedy sobblers in their respective
communities They were not eccen-
trio and exceptional abnormalities:
there were Others like them around
them and behind them, or they never
could been selected as representatives
il is quite true that one of the Twelve
Apostles was a judas. but the other
eleven never picked him out as their
representative to act for them in max
ing laws for the infant church. It
isn't true that politics are a corrupt
exception to an otherwise universal
rule OF unselfish public service. The
same growth of greed and graft sends
insidious rootlets through private bust
ness and sucks sustenance from the
folks.
Of course we must live and we must
GET for ourselves that Hherayyith f.