The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-08-07
THURSDAY, AUGUST :, 1918
A Tyrant in Our Midst

A million men went from Northern
homes in 1861 to fight for the prin-
ciples of freedom. There were heroes
In those days eager TO war in distant
states against the oppressors OF an
alien race. and yet We have no one
In Somerset County, in this year oil
1919. who is brave enough and bold
enough to free US from the dictates
of our friends and neighbors. A y-
RAINY more CALLING and more disaster
GUS than that imposed by the South
ern slayeholder burdens US all and yet
no marching thousands rise to resent
it.
All of US claim freedom to live in
houses we can afford, to dress in mo-
dest taste In relation to our income
and to supply our table with the same
wise considerations. In snort, we
think ourselves born with the inalien-
able right to live within our means
and to the ends Of peace, pleasure and
ed Custom, an ogre with neither sense
nor mercy, compels us to live, not as
we want to or onght to, but as our
neighbors do. Without fully realiz-
ing, we spend our lives, not in doing
and having the things that bring real
contentment, but in the unfortunate
and disappointing effort to live by
other peoples standards rather than
our own.
This tyranny governs all our acts,
whether trivial or important. We buy
our hats when others buy them. The
old ones seldom go because they are
less artistic than the new and never
because they are actually worn out.
We build our houses and plan them,
TO be sure, with much thought of our
own comfort and convenience Yet
what our neighbors have built and are
building, to a ridiculous extent, in
fuences the whole matter and we often
10 far beyond our means that we may
equal or exceed, or at least fall not
around us. At the theater we forget
that every seat in the house has
practically the same view of the stage
and pay double price that we may be
seen seated in that part usually oc-
cupied by men and women Of sub
stance. So all through life, as to our
clothes, housing, food, recreation and
amusement, we act the part Of slaves
and serfs rather than that of freemen
of the realm Nor may we look for
peace beyond the grave for who can
enjoy his eternal rest beneath tomb
stone that fails to equal In its pro-
portions and adornment, any that
stand nearby. And, oh, solemn and
appalling thought, If Heaven be the
place of material things our youth has
pictured It, with crowns and harps and
golden streets, must we tremble with
q secret dread that others will there
surpass us in magnifcence of harp or
crown or raiment
But to get back to earth again and
try to understand what prompts US
10, this universal folly. BE 1t re-
membered that man is not falling
angel but a. rising animal. Our an
cestors we're not gods, cherubs, angels
and seraphs, but apes and toads and
crawling things. This unfortu
nate rivalry has been built into us
since the days when our prototypes
took pride in the sheen of their feath
ers, the shine of their scales and the
length of their claws. We, their not
too distant successors, proud of any
thing we may possess little more
pretentious than our neighbors, strut
about with much the same feeling that
animates a turkey gobbler, thus yield
ing to very unloyely side of our ma
lure. The turkey is not too blame
for. In the process of development he
knows any better We have, and while
we many we'll be tolerant, patient and
torgiving with ourselves and with each
other, we certainly forfeit our claim
to different rating from the birds
and beasts II we fail to make little
use OF orr wisdom We cannot get
out of our natures in day or even in
a century of civilization that spirit
OF rivalry and love of ostentation
which grew through million years
Of jungle life, but those of us who
are not willing to try deserve to be
sent back to live with the cave dwell
lers or to crawl about on the mud
banks of the Silurian age.
Here we are groaning about the high
cost of living when it is the cost OF
living high that is very much to
blame. Tariffs, trusts, and combines
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