The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-22

dom. In the days Of the bonded
TO win his way to his own master
ship. Even In these days Of the
third lustrum of the twentieth cen
tury full many a white youth or
maiden. man of woman, is making
the same desperate struggle. OF
course no master owns you legally.
but the chains of your particular
slavery gall you Just the same.
moi enslared by anyone." is your
indignant reply. But you are per-
-haps. You are practically owned by
any person. natural or legal, to what
ever extent such person compells you
to do things against your will or
prohibits you from doing what you
prefer, and thus prevents you from
! living the life Of your choice. Yes,
I know. theoretically % are both
a free individual and a free moral
agent. but practically you may be
neither, so far as some of your actual
deeds show. That might be true
whether your business be professional,
commercial. scientific OF mechanical.
Just consider the question with your
self. Are you really as free as o
thought you We're? If not. why not?
II you are not self-owned, your
thraldom, he II what 1t may. can be
traced to -FOUR wish to crafty some
appetite, passion or desire. and the
person who furnishes the means for
such qualification holds the key to
your chain lock. Is 1t not SO?
To tell the truth. the brutal truth.
perhaps , most people are not ready
to be self-owned. Are you? If YOU
realize tina you are not, then II
might be we'll for you to choose a
very different business from the one
that would be most fitting II you
know that you are a free individual.
and a free moral agent. and intend
to remain free.
If YOU have decided that m
tous question within yourself, then
We are more ready 10 consider some
of the advantages and Disadvantages
Of sundrv professions and avocatfons
with q view to aiding you to decide
! which one Is best for you.
Rut embarrassing as II ma be, we
are again delayed by an inquiry that
here intrudes itself and viii not be
denied. What about the basic law
OF use"
All civilized nations agree that you
ma use your very own only SO for
as II viii not conflict with the vested
tights of others. The stability OF
| society itself depends upon the rigid
enforcement of that law, which YOU
/ cannot with impunity ignore.
60. before you a fnteliigent}Y
/ choose your business, would 1t not
he we'll 10 duly consider your rela-
tions to your family. eyour country.
/ YOUR State. your ountry and to hu-
rnauftv AT large Then when YOU
ACCURATELY define those relations. you
can Judge whether your contefn plat
cd business does or will conflict With
such relations and consequent obli-
cations to any of these, and II SO,
to what extent.
Then the question arises. which
I should re auswered-rrftfn pity and
| answered honestly with yourself. will
| such business "a yoa enough, all
things considered, 10 justify you IN
violating or ignoring such ooliga-
TONS should you business require
that.
II Is up 10 YOU to decide. you can
violate or ignore those obligations
Fl YOU will. most OF them with i'm
ulnfty-at least for a time. But the
question is. will you Can YOU aford
to pay the penalty. or the price, II
/ YOU paefer. which soon or later must
he paid for every intentional. CEN
I scious violation of any obligation
f5ading upon any rational. free human
~ ing You nj answer. Yes, Snch
! business ma he conducted without
anv serious violation of such hiiE
tons"
, lions" nut is it So conducted IN the
locality where YOU expect to worh
Arc vou individually strong enough.
an @4z@ % YOU the moral courage
ne%x ~ to openly and VIGOROUSLY DO
sug 4siness on a higher plane than
/ YOUR .neighbors. and SO ain. even
~ you do not merit. their dislike
and concerted opposition" Some
things grow better in a hostile en-
virysnment. but tho lot OF a non-con-
.forlner Is not a happy one
Since others beside yourself are
Interested in your success, II Is We'll
n possible. 10 heed not only sox
Principis-the voice nj your prnncl-
ple~-but also. Nox Popuh-the voice
Of the people. which is said 70 he, at
least In some places. Nex Pei. the
voice of o j..
p4syou not see how important that
osestion is. even If at first ii seemed
a mere matter of policy
So be fair with yourself, Yon
need not tell a soul as 70 how You
solve the problem. That viii sho"
In YOUR @etforS. Fat Bxsst lock sf8ar-
self in the eye. decide for yourself,
land then hrayaly and knowingly go
ahead and take the consequences. TX
,you cannot do all that you had heae
ter pause and think 1t over, sor
W hatever you do becomes what you
are. Perhaps it might be well TO
confde In som eone-whieh must be
either a friend or an enemy. The
I latter would surely use It against you
If You should violate your own con-
science. and a friend would either
condemn your fault or condone it.
and ssy hecosa a N~royE~Goer with
YOU, thus adding to your own I'M
desirable responsibility.
~ In any event, If you can do n
wrong thing go rightly that 1t Will
injure no one. Won must he very
wise.
Assuming then, that at last you are
oualife ed to make an intelligent choice,
let eA. frst consider some OF the
. ges and disadvantages Of GER
tai POPULAR professions.
The am hit of most college men,
at least fhos who take the regular
Ga s!caf TON Is turned se~afd
tho pulpit. the bar. the forum. the
professors chair. or the physicians
field.
Should you he convinced that, you
have a call Il 'ae pulpit. no other
profession, p. 4. would satisfy YOU.
even thong 2 = / realize that mo
- a.