Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-04-10
Restraint Habit in America.
From the Chicago Tribune.

"A Frenchrnan might wear a straw hat in a snowytorm n n other
Trenchman you'd bother about it, 1t would pc assumed that he had reasons
sufficient to him for his preference. 1t would be considered his w affair." a
bit oft he variety of life of n concern to anyon else.
In America he would be a int days onder Some would jer mo pet
Others would call the police. Others would form a society for the prohibition
Of STRAW lat wearing in the winter months.
In French civilization hereis profound respect for individuality. In Amer
there is little or one. The French cosn that without a free play of
personality life must lose it's pontaneity. its sincait,i its wholesome elasticity
grace, n color n zest In America We incline more n more toward
open to the individual We already live under a tyranny of public opinion
which, manufacture hypocrisy ad compels medocrity. % originality, for
idiosyncras an individuality We have at bottom both fear and hatred. w
nave a sort of moral lynch Law for anything tht does lot square with III
average md we punish the unusual With something like the blind farcMty Of a
savage tribe.
This strange development in thu land of the free and the home of IL
brave has as n of its phases. our inclination to pas laws % enforce codes of
or enforce rules of discipline. Not undHstandn or respecting real
processes of character building. w G are not willing to rely upo the appeal to
the conscience and the educaton of the will We are concerned with external
conduct N inpauenty seek external methods of controlling it. imposing the
will by law rather than seeking to enlghcn the sources of conduct
n bring about right conduct from within.
In nation truly free laws affecting conduct ared directed againsta ctsw which
injuMouAy affect others. We are exceedingly slack in thisl respect n think
this means freedom We permit a man to build out beyond his neighbors
lne or to cause losso or inconvenience etc settled residence district by
erecting a factoryn it We permit owners to keep ice N 10Y or heir side
walks while their more public spirited neighborsc clear theirs and in nos
aspects we are free 10 negect or infringe pon the interests of Others. Bt
we like to pass avs nc inanc to compel the individual to a. a. We thnk
Ne ugh to 10 for his w good. Wew wish to censor hist plays. his sports his
private habits We are less concerned about preventing hinfr ROM doing ron
70 others hn in preventing him from doing ha We consider harnto himself
This, it woul seem, is standing policy on its head 1t certainly represents
a tendency which ATTACKS symptoms rather than causes am ignores he fun
danentai realities of character making. Socially it produces results that are
and apparent rather han essential. N creates species of moralisuc
desnotism which ovemides The private conscience n destroys liberty where
liberty is most precious.
A,norican emocrac is read " from freedom in this espect nc thu
benedts of or political institutions will not ompensa u for r loss. Amer
49, aor,ocracv on thisp path will notp produce Il high civilization which always
must he founded N the mind m spirit ~ VIII eN"e oN d er"ce mechah-
ism without beauty or strength.