Norwich bulletin., 1917-12-14

l. I'm man"
 Of course, in all our. relations wfth our fellow men the ideal balance be- tween rights and duties is. that which is held exactly even. An absolutely infiexibIe insistence upon the one; an equally absolute unstinting Of the other. But how to hold that balance thus perfectly true; ah, there's the difficulty!
 The heart of man is deceitful and desperately. wicked. At least, so we are told Tn this matter it is daily minute. pulling him towards the wrong side. It is constantly whispering that So-and 50 is Infringing on his rights; constantly nagging him to a more than fair, to a sharp and forcibfe mainte- nance of those rights.
 In order to overcome this natural and inherent one -sidedness. it is nec- essary for the most of us to lean a lit tie the other way.
 once saw a man standing on the brink of a Block Island bluff when a strong and steady northeaster was sweeping in from the ocean. Had he merely tried to stand erect, he would have been blown over on his back. To prevent this. he stood pitching for ward like a human Tower of Pisa, actually leaning against the wind at a marked angle To stand up firmly he mad deliberately to put himself out of plumb. .,.
 Well, it's a good deal like that in this matter of our rights and our du ties. While the ideal way is to build our fences exactly on the line, neither giving anything which belongs to HIS nor. taking anything which does not, as a matter of real practice it = better to give up a. doubtful ell than to swipe on the other fellow; better for the peace and neighborliness which it in duces:-- better for the sake of example; better, oh. thousand tirnee better, for its reflex effect on ones oEn char. acter. V -
 This isn't any argument for tame acceptance of impositions. It is not in intended to mean that men should be like sheep. licking the hands which are bout to butcher them. It is not te be taken as a peace -at-any price" plea
 It is simply to point out that the ever present danger for those who think more of their rights than of their ssnarling dogs:t; not just men but mere greedyguts: not good neighbors but litigious nnisances: not self-ignoring atriots but seif-seeking profteers.
 The tendency of over- insistence on individual rights is to fill the country with men llabituated to regard only their own private interests and, there lore, unaOie III d IlIIlS or emergency and strain like this to relegate those interests to the ackground. This is a crisis when every banker and every coal miner and every railroad man and every artisan and every farmer in the iand., to tl3e-f last man Jack. should for get all about his. rights to anything more than life and liberty, cSd think first. last. and all the time about his duties His duties to his country; his duties to its government, whether he -0f 7n~ of hi hi to the whole world. travelling in the threesz of freedoms last desperate struggle; his duties to the generation yet unborn and to the world whose in the balance.
 Nevertheless, I find that, in my own 'vicinage,, altogether too many farmers are more interested in the price of potatoes than in the price of liberty; altogether too many are thinking more of their own possible profits than Of; the worlds salvation; altogether too. many com plain more Of the shortage in farm labor than of the lack of men overseas to ste m the red tide of bar barisSn's humanity danning eruptioH. Y Isn't it so in your own town, too. dear reader?
 Just at present. it makes. mighty little difference whether some of our rights are encroeched on or not.
 But it makes, all the difference in the world whether we. farmers as we'll as other men; take instant and whole hearted heed to- our patriotic duties,r or selfshly continue to put them in the second pla ce.
 There should be no thought in any Americans mind these days of his. tights" He has duties enough, mo, matter what his station or, estate. to keep, him fully occupied. Perhaps. next year or year after. things may be diff ferent. But at this time we all need the. Plattsblirg lesson-..~.
 "To> think less of, our rights and more of our .duties.' fe. !, . tsL.. .s. s':::. THE FARMER: