The Washington herald., 1915-01-10
BACKBONE.
By ORISON SWEET MARDEN.
Author Of Pushing to the Front" Etc
lCourirht Ig5l

Copyright Isl5.l
How few people there are who, openly,
above board. without wincing, twisting,
sneaking, apologizing, have the courage
to come out into the open and express
their convictions without fear or favor.
How many young men with good health
and a splendid education, with good
manners, utterly fail in life for the want
Of a backbonei They seem to have every-
| thing else which belongs to a real man
but the vertebrae They do not have
enough stamina TO dare TO have an opin-
ion Of their own. They cannot say NO"
without hurting somebody, or disagree
perfectly equipped for a great career
with this one fatal lack and lacking that
| they lack everything. For what is a
man good for without lime in his back
bone, without stamina to enable him TO
take a mans stand and do the things
that a man must do to be a man? OF
what use to society is a man who has
no opinion of his own. does not dare to
say that his soul is his own. and is al
ways trimming his words and conduct
and trying to square himself with ths
conditions about him? OF what use is a
man who does not dare to stand by his
convictions. and defy the world, who will
MS pFnC4pleSs
The Is no quality outside Of honesty
so much needed in the world today as
backbone, the stamina which will enable
a man to stand erect, look the world in
the face and defy their verdict. that
stamina which prefers silence in OBJ
scurity and poverty with liberty 70 a
life of luxury in the limelight OF the
world, II he must sacrifice one iOta OF
his principle.
Many OF the supposedly great men.
who have fallen during the last few
years, went down from the lack of back
bone. They did not have the stamina to
say NO" with the emphasis which car
ries conviction. They did not have the
stamina TO oppose Mrs Grundy" 1t
was so much easier to do what others
did, TO keep up appearances. to keep in
the Hmelight. They did not have cour-
age to appear what they really were, to
live the simple life
The greatest enemy Of moral backbone
is the desire to stand well with other
| tagoniZe them. This Is one Of the things
that makes towards of many peOple-the
weakness of waiting to be we'll thought
Of
But, Mr.. Apologizer, did you ever rea-
| lie that the very reputation OF having
no opinions of never expressing your
own convictions until you have those OF
/ lile man you are TALKING with, so INaL
you may slant yours the right way, the
very means you take to keep others good
| opinion is just the way to lose II?
We admire sincerity so much that it
overtops any mere difference Of opinion,
| of conviction, or Of creed. We cannot
help liking the man who has the bold
ness to express his opinion without fear
or favor. no matter whether others like
it or not. We cannot help despising the
man who tries to please US agree with
US by modifying his honest convictions,
tampering with his conscience. We like
the man who comes out in the open,
looks US in the face. filings his defiance
at US, IL necessary, to back his cOnyiC-
tons.
In other words, we must respect I
man before We can admire him or love
him, and no one can respect the man
without backbone who lacks courage 10
say what he thinks and do what he be-
lieveS he ought to.
I have often met such backboneless,
opiniOnless men in hotel Hobbies, or in
smoking rooms on trains. They are very
careful never to declare themselves or
commit themselves upon their religious
creeds or political principles They will
trim their speech and shape their lam
guage to suit the occasion, always care
full not to conflict with any one else's
opinion. You never know where these
people stand. They never have the cour-
age to declare themselves. Everybody
despises them.
One Of the results OF the crowded civi-
lization in our great cities has been tho
gradual decline in some Of the qualities
which go to make strong. sturdy. stall
wart character.
Everywhere we see people skulking be-
hind diplomacy, deceit, cunning. They
do not like to come right out into the
open. state their opinions boldly. fear
lessly, as their forefathers did. They
have gradually increased in wealth. but
there has been some serious loss with
the gain.
The American character in our large
cities is not as sturdy, vigorous and
strong, as courageous, daring. as it once
was. AS people We are more refined,
more polished, but less courageous. We
are like the scholar who knows more,
but who also fears more. The polish
has been gained at the expense OF
strength, just as in the sculpture period
of Europe timbers and buildings Were
so overcarved in order to be decorative
that their strength leSsaned.