The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-30

be done. That Is what | mean by the
spirit OF service
II have known many man who gave
up profit for mental satisfaction. know
men in this cty-dhere are men in the
scientific bureaus Of this Government
whom / could cite who could make very
big salaries but who prefer the satisfac.
ton Of doing things that will serve the
whole community and doing them Just as
we'll as they possibly can be done.
II for one am proud Of the sciem TIC
bureau Of this Government. There are
men in u Of the most self-sacrificing spirit
and OF the highest scientific efficiency
who do things on a petty salary which
some other men would not DO at all be-
cause II YOU have TO pay man p salary
TO produce the best product of his brain
then he scales the product down 20 the
salary.
Here are men who scale the product
up to the highest standard Of scientific
ideals. They have hitched their wagon
to star and the star is apt to Nft their
names above the names ~ the rest OF us.
The only reason we quarrel with re-
formers sometimes 10 because they are or
suppose that they are little more en-
lightened than the rest Of US and they
want us all OF n sudden to he Just a.
enlightened as they are and we cannot
stand the pace.
That is all that makes us uneasy about
reformers. II we could get our second
wind, II We could keep up the pace as
long as they do, we might be able to run
as fast as they do. but we are more
heavily weighted with clay than they
are.
That gentlemen. is the homely and
] dare say obvious lesson which have
meant 10 give utterance 10 this afternoon
AN ] ask is that N anything is being
done that ought not to he done the fault
In It be conclusively pointed out and the
way TO correct the mistake by explicitly
shown.
There is an old rule that ourh, IN
obtain In politics as well as In everything
else and II is expressed in a evry horelv
way. 1t Is the rule OF put up or shut
up
Some one said "Tr you wish me to con-
slider utility ] must really trouble YOU
to show me the goods TO show how the
thing can be done: TO show now IL can
DO better done. Because nobody IL fool
enough TO suppose that the way ne has
determined that the thing ought to be
done II necessarily the best way 10 do
II; but It Is the best way TO do II until
YOU show better way.
THAT is a perfectly obvious rule So
again ! say II is the rule OF put up or
shut up And do not mean that in any
sOr, OF disreSpect. The marks, for IDEAS
Is highly competitive market and the
sa!c1 c: competition are ScccGs@-.!y- :.,T
There il only one test for an idea
and that is Ts IL good You may for
the time being dress il with such rhetoric
that 1t will look good, and the best thing
that II characteristic Of countries Ike
our own IL that every man who has an
idea is constantly invited to the platform
And there Is nothing better for an idea
by way OF test than exposure TO the at
mosphere. II YOU let enough people hear
it stated often enough II will certainly
seek it's proper Level
That is the reason I believe in free
speech. | have been subjected to free
speech myself and It's hard TO endure
sometimes because the Office OF the Presi-
dent seems to he the clearing house for
original ideas.
Il am brought more original ideas per
diem, | dare say, than any other person
in the country and therefore pay the
penalty OF freedom OF speech. Perhaps
my mind does not register original ideas
readily enough, because some Of them do
not register AZ all. | am perfectly willing
20 admit that that Is the fault OF the
register, not TIE fault OF the idea. All
have to say iS that II you have Ideas
! the register is entirely nj your service"