Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-28
-. The
Evening Chit-Chat
r., p.t.
BY Ruth Cameron

HE other day I overheard
woman correcting her children.
Don't argue" she said. its
Il vulgar and disagreeable"
The children had been dis
cusslng some point with loudness of
tone and an irritability of manner that
was vulgar and disagreeable, but that
did mot make the act of arguing wrong
in itself. On the contrary, to argue is
healthy for the mind. 1t is to the
mental powers what exercise is to the
physical.
And yet I find this prejudice against
arguing is very common.
Why is it? Perhaps because so few
people can argue without getting noisy
and excited.
Indeed, man or woman who can
argue sanely, courteously, quietly and
intelligently is one of the greatest rari-
ties In the world.
"A sheer is not an argument. Yet
how many people use it as such, and
think because their antagonist natur-
ally Winces before this poisoned thrust
they have scored a point. l overheard
two people arguing the other day In
regard to a fault of which one was
suppd sed to be guilty. The one who
was criticised accused his critic of
having done the same thing. The critic
fairly and squarely freed himself from
the charge whereupon his antagonist.
| foiled of any fair argument, came back
with, Eyes, | know you're perfect"
1t Aurt. Such things always hurt;
the critic blushed and became confused
and his antagonist looked triumphant.
Yet far from justifying himself he had
proved himself to my mind a coward,
! for it Is only a coward that is ready
to snat Itch at any weapon rather than
stand up and acknowledge q defeat
who will use a sheer for an argument.
Another favorite method is to try to
prove that thing is SO by proving that
the opposite is not so. When / was
a child would sometimes say of some
alleged misdoing, THAT didn't do any
/ harm. Whereupon my grown-up an
tagoni$t would answer. 1T didn't dc
any gbod, did it?' Although 1 then
lacked the ability to fully understand
how this answer failed OF being logic
and the presence of mind to retort
THAT doesn't prove anything" 1 al
ways had a burning sense of injustice
when / was put down IN that way.
That species of argument Is always
favoIite with people who lack better
weapon Is. especially with quick temper.
ed males. If you do not want pail
of masculine boots In the middle of tht
living room floor and the male in ques-
ton has no real reason why they
should be there to offer, he can Away:
retort, Very well, take them out anC
throw them in the ash barrel"
Perhaps the most trying to me Of al
arguherIs are those who argue with
out conviction. l feel toward them thu
indignation that Mrs. Brattle feels to-
ward the whist players who play with
out car ng whether they win or lose
When I hear man argue one thint
today and another thing tomorrow jus
because he finds an antagonist read.
to take the opposite side, I never fai
to show him up to his antagonist.
A man or woman who will argu
only accbrding to his honest conviction
who can stick>to the point, who scorn
to use unfair arguments, who cal
argue without losing his temper o
courtesy and without shouting, an,
who is willing to be convinced, Is rare
than a white crow.
But it is a good ideal to work for.
1