The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-04-09
IN THE OTHER FELLOWS PLACE

II you had been in Woodrow Wilson's place, what would YOU
have done about going to war and about peacc-makingS
II YOU had been in Robert L. Lees place. what would YOU
have done when called upon to choose between holding your high
commission in the United States army or taking up the cause Of
your native state!
II You had been in Theodore Rooscvclts place, what would
you have done when confronted with the choice OF supporting your
own. party or starting a new one?
Ii you. had been in William J. Bryan's place, what would
you,hayc done when the San Francisco convention turned down
IT YOU had been in the place Of the man who murdered his
ncighbor and is now serving a life term in the penitcntary. what
would YOU have done?
Mr.. Thomas r. Marshall who. il not the greatest OF states
men, is at least one of Americas most sensible philosophers, an
swers these questions.
1T is ali nonsense to talk about what you would have done
II YOU had been in the other fellows place" says the former vice
president. III you had been in his place, you would have done
exactly what he did. For example, | think | wouldn't have eaten
the famous forbidden fruit il | had been Adam but, the fact is
that never saw Eve; il had, probably would have been as
weak as Adam"
If YOU were in the other fellows place, you would possess
his mental makeup, moved by the motives that move himprompt-
ed to do good or i'll and act wisely or foolishly by the same con-
sdcrations which control his conduct; YOU wodld see things as he
sees them and feel as he feels, and since all action which isn't
purly instructive is governed by thinking and feeling, YOU would
act as he acts. This is the answer il you put yourself precisely i'll
The other fellows place and there IS no gainsaying II, but even
il you put yourself in his place with your own mental makeup,
Mr.. Marshalls philosophy is still applicable: you can't say posi-
becRlse you don't know hoy YOUR MIMI would react when con
fronted by the same conditions and circumstances which move
The remark of John Wesley on seeing a feon being conduct
ed by an officer down the street in London is in point: But for
the grace of Goo. there goes John Wesley, said he. pointing to the
prisoner Mr.. Wesley knew that he had something in his life,
something in his soul, that the unfortunate victim OF the law did
MT possess and but for this fact, he might have acted as the feon
did.
When you say you would act a certain way il YOU were in
the other fellows place, you are basing your assertion upon an
impossible hypothesis; you can't put yourself in his precise place
because, il you did, you wouldn't be you but you would be the
other fellow. However, you can try to put yourself in the other
fellows place; you can try to understand something Of the cir
cumstances which make him think and act as he does; you can
try to get his point of view-try to see and feel as he does and
try to determine why he SO thinks and feels-and that is what
YOU will do if your own bump of conceit is not developed to the
extent that you vanly fancy that all wisdom and virtue have
their habitation exclusively in you.
When you do your best to put yourself in the other fellows
place, your judgments concerning his conduct will not be so
harsh; you will not be so quick to condemn; you will have more
consideration for the opinions Of others and you will have in your
heart more Of the charity which has been called the greatest
thing in the %world'-the charity which is love for all mankind
and sympathy with "al sorts and conditions Of men. This is
the charity which covers a multitude OF faults and which, if
generally applied will wipe out mans inhumanity to man which
makes countless millions mourn. 1t is the charity which will elm
mate a lot Of the vexatious questions which make personal rela-
tons unpleasant and will solve a multitude Of problems growing
out Of social conditions; the charity which makes the souls OF
men big and generous, and supplants human ~sehshncss with
human helpfulness. lifting mankind from all that is narrow and
mean to the realm of righteousness and brotherhood, where
the real glory Of human nature is revealed.