The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-11-18
SOME THINGS
and OTHER THINGS

M and OTHER THINGS
1t is strikingly strange how soon the
progressives become conservatives as
soon as they get into Office.
Any student of modern literature
must have noticed that our literature Is
a growing animal. The discouraging
thing in modern literature has not de-
scended from supposed romance but
from anthropolOgy. l sometimes think
that Rousseau's 'naturaI man. was a
gentleman and a scholar when COM
pared to some of the modern heroes.
Idealism may be bourgeois" but it
is certainly not brutal. If 'paganism"
means what the new literary output
emphasizes, then let me be "Philis-
tine;" for if matters are carried much
further, fiction will become a branch of
physiological psychology.
AS sat in nv study, I saw the pas
senger train thunder by. 1 saw the
engineer sitting quietly in his seat back
figure in greasy overalls. But if you
will study this man, you will conclude
he is one of the big factors in our mod
ern civilization. He is the incarnation
of personal responsibility that can nei-
Their be shared nor shifted. This man
holds our respect because he is the
master of the lives of others who trail
behind him.
Lonesomeness is the cost of power.
The higher you climb in leadership, the
fewer companions you will have. But
few people ever think of the burden
power brings. If you think leadership
is easy, just try to lead.
Any man who does the most for soci-
ETY., has a vocation and an avocation.
In other words q man should have a
life's job and a hobby to occupy his
time.
Life should be more than a mere
struggle for existence.
Since education has ceased to be
aristocratic, and has become democrat
ic, we find that life has grown richer
and higher, and general society has lost
its fear of the learned person-the
learned person shows himself so stupid
ly human in so many things that we
find him mighty common clay, except
in his speciality.
For centuries we educated people
away from their surroundings, but now
we are educating them in their sur
roundings. If we are to keep our
beautiful democracy, we must educate
our democrats.
The United States must inevitably
be drawn into the maelstrom of an in
ternational war if it insists on the in
tegrity of China and of its share of the
worlds trade. 1t now seems to be
wise craftsmanship to spend 661 mil
lions of dollars during the year 1917, to
be able to meet the conditions of the
world in the fall OF 1917 and spring of
1918.
It is mighty hard for nation to be
strong and gentle, self-reliant and pa
tient. When the worlds reconstruc-
ton takes place, it is more than likely
that prepared peace will help to recon
struct.
Have you ever noticed the courtesy
of wealth? Perhaps if you have not
noticed it, you have felt it.
We propose to be saved from econ
servatism" that euphemism for priv
ilege," and from senatorial courtesy
which is euphemism for log-rolling
for vested interests. We are working
out our political salvation with the
faith of men who ''move mountains by
shoveling them away
1t is sometimes much easier to make
majorItles before elections, you know,
than it is to have them after the cleo
tions.
Commercialism may be the curse of
the age, but the most of US are want
ing the Course of the age" and get
very indignant when we GO not get the
curse.
Did you ever notice that it is much
easier to run in debt for luxuries than
it is for necessities? War is a luxury,
therefore men spend money freely for
it. We would think it would be a ter
rible thing, an awful waste, to spend
500 millions next year for national high
ways or public ownership of railroads,
+ but we gladly spend 661 millions for
the year 1917 to make munitions of war
/ to kill unknown enemies; yet we vote
! for the man who forced Congress to
/ make this appropriation, to be our
/ president, because he ''kept US out of
war. If we had spent this money for
internal improvements, the 3, OOO, 900
men now out of work would have en-
ployment.
According to the best estimates made
it is costing Europe $50, 900 TO kill a
man. 1t is an expensive thing to kill q
man. 1t costs less than that to kill a
Mexican in Hays.
The Golden Belt Teacher is a new
monthly. issued by The Fort Hays
Western Kansas Normal School, Qegal
title, if possible they would have made
it longer that comes to our exchange
desk. 1t is edited by P Caspar Harvey