The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-05-29
A QUIET TALK

"When a fellow gets so he can't dis
cuss a subject without getting mad"
said Casey, the coal man, to his neigh
Dor, Weisenheiner, "he ought to shut
up and not talk at all. When a fellow
begins to get mad it's a sure sign to
me that he's run out Of arguments"
Certainly" said Weisenheimer.
"We should be tolerant of one anoth-
er's opinions. If we didn't exchange
opinions about things, we'd never learn
anything, and the best sign of culture
and good common sense, for that
matter-to my mind is the considera'
ton we give to other peoples ideas.
When I was at Heidelberg"
"That's what I say" interposed
Casey, earnestly. II tell you it pays
to listen to the other fellow. You'll
get a different angle on the thing.
After all, none Of us are always right
the other fellow is right sometimes
and just because he happens to diff
fer with you is no reason why you
shouldn't listen to what he says-he
may be right that particular time"
certainly. Besides, the ability tC
discuss matters with others from an
absolutely unprejudiced standpoint.
and from an honest desire to improve
u knowledge upon the subject dis,
cussed, is the highest test Of intellect.
ual poise. Our old professor Of meta
physics used to say"
"You're right, old man-that's the
point" said Casey. "There's nothing
makes me so sore as a fellow that alb.
solutely can't and won't see but one
side to a question. . I see old
Wilson has fired another shot at the
kaiser"
l"Shot? What kind Of a shot this
time, Brother Casey?" asked Weisen'
heimer, blandly.
"About those Yarrowdale prisoners
that the kaiser is holding v there
Wilson tells him, cold turkey, he's got
to come across with them without any
more parley-that last note was
straight from the shoulder"
"Yes-that's good. I hope they will
be released. This unfortunate war
"Unfortunate? It's a blamed out.
rage, that's what this war is. The idea
of raising all that fuss about an Aus.
trian archduke, or whatever he vas
"Oh, there's a good deal more tc
this war than that little affair, Mr..
Casey. That was a mere incident. The
underlying causes are deep and funda'
mental. 1t IS really a struggle between
two antagonistic ideas Of civilization
and progress"
"Oh, back up with that stuff, Weisey
that makes me sick. There amt
anything to this war but old Bill Ho'
%henzollern's rule-or-ruin policy. He's
going to run things over there or bust
'em up. He is just a big political boss.
with a big army to back him up, that's
all Bill is"
II beg pardon, Mr.. Casey, now, real.
~, that don't sound good from a mar
Of your intelligence. If you've read
the white Book"
"White fiddlesticks-1 hope you are
not falling for that bunc?"
Before I would talk about this war
I would read the official documents,
if I were you-what's the use of talk
ing to a fellow like you, that don't read
anything"
"Don't read anything? Now, there
you 60, Weisey-why, I don't do any.
thing but read about the war. If
there's anything about the war that
I don't know, I'm darn sure you can't
tell me. The trouble with you, Weisey,
is you're prejudiced.".
"The trouble with you, Casey, is that
you're a bonehead-"
"Bonehead? Bonehead? Say,
Weisey, if I had a head as hard as
yours, I'd soak it in something, like
they do wood pulp, to soften it up, so
you can get an outside idea into it
once in a while. You think you know
it all, and you don't know nothing" '
"Casey, there's two kinds of people
I won't argue with, idiots and chill
dren-and you're no child, I'll say that
much for YOU"
"Argue? Why, you can't argue. You
wouldn't know a fact if you saw it
coming up the middle Of the street,
with an affidavit" on each side of it.
Argue? You just think you are say
ing something when you're just, max
ing funny sounds. If I had a head IS
thick as yours, Weisey-"
cav, you ought to be going to school
instead Of trying to sell shale for
coal"
"Say, you better go back to Heidel-
berg
"You ignoramus."
"YOu iyOrv-headad nutn