Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-10-08
LA FOLLETTE'S SINCERITY

In his criticism OF the attitude OF Senator IaFollette
on Saturday Senator Fall, of New Mexico, said that he
he had not always agreed with him, and considered him
to be wrong this time.
There is no reason to doubt the absolute sincerity
Of Mr.. LaFollette. He believes thoroughly-in himself. He
is as self-centered as the kaiser is, and as sincere. He
is as sincere as is the spoiled boy who believes himself
to be the most important being created, and who resents
with roars and shrieks any interference with tho achieve
nent Of his desires.
Sincerity is often urged in extenuation in the fol-
lowing of a mistaken course; and it should be given due
weight. Quite properly we look upon the man who does
wrong mistakenly more leniently than we do upon him
who does wrong Understandings. But there are cases in
which this rule does not apply. The law refuses to ac-
cept drunkenness as an excuse for crime, and some au-
thoritfes consider it an aggravaton Of the ofense. Sim
ilarly, there are cases in which the sincere acceptance
of wrong notions is as reprehensible as are the acts
which grow out of that state Of mind. The kaiser could
not have reached his present conception Of himself as at
least the equal of God without sedulously cultivatins the
quality Of selhshness. And LaFollette has arrived at his
present conception Of himself by the Industrious cultiva-
ton of everything that tended to enhance his own i'm
Dortance, and by a habitual disregard of the rights, and
privileges and sentiments Of other people. He has ac-
cepted favors greedily, and when 1t was convenient he
has turned his back on those who have conferred them.
He has handed out denunciation right and left. but he
has held himself to be immune from criticism. He has
claimed for himself freedom Of opinion and freedom
Of speech, but when others have asserted opinions con-
trary to his own he has forgotten all about his doctrine
Of freedom.
In all this he has been sincere. Because Of an ex-
aggerated sense of his own importance he has insisted
on having his own way in everything, and in the con-
temptation of his own greatness and the nursing Of his
own grievances he has become, what he need not have
become, the morose, ill-tenpered, uncontrolled egotist
that he is. His sincerity. therefore, is no excuse for his
present unworthy attitude. On the contrary, he is to be
censured for having so cultivated the spirit Of self as to
farrive at his present beliefs. not as to the issues of the
war, particularly, but as to his own place in the scheme
Of things. and his final acceptance that he is so much
more important than other men that he is at liberty to
act toward them as he will.
LaFollette is just now squirting under criticism.
He always squfrms when criticism is dealt out to him.
But in this he exhibits the srnallness Of his nature, for
no man in American pbblic life has been more sweeping
in his denunciation of others than he. No man has
been more ready than he to impute improper motives
to others. No man has striven harder than he to de-
stroy public faith in other men. And 1t is entirely In
Keeping with a lifetime spent in the effort to ma gnify
himself and to minister to his own ambitions that he
should now, in all sincerity, be the sort of man he is.