The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-01-06

ears elsewhere IN CnlS issue. Among
ne guests were Rev. d. j. Gallagher,
Tho offered prayer at the opening of
( .e meeting; Geo. Mcdonald, Minot's
new chief of police, who started on
his duties Jan. and who was invited
to ".sit in" with the Rotarians, just to
give him chance to get acquainted
with some of Minot's supporters; Po-
lice Commissioner Bowker, who ex-
planned that he would appreciate the
support Of the Rotary in a bill to be
Introduced in this session of the leg
islature giving back to the cities the
power to issue >and revoke pool hall
licenses and to collect the revenue for
such licenses; brother of N. d. Cor
man was also a guest, and instead OF.
giving a talk sang two fine solos. A
iolin duet by Lafe Flaten and Otto
,llison was given.
w. M. Smart, who has developed in
an orator Of no ordinary ability,
save great talk on optimism. Ac-
,ording to Mr. Smart, everything is
coming out fine if we just think so.
Most of our panics could be cured if
we could just change the state of our
minds. Every Rotarian should loosi
forward to 1921 with renewed courage
and hope. Mr.. Smart said in part:
"But, gentlemen, in my opinion the
greatest asset we have is not our sue
cessful financial institutions, import
ant as they are; not our mills and
wholesale houses; not our office build
ings or residences; not even the money
that has been invested in farms and
farm equipment Necessary as all
these things are, there is another Won
derful asset we have which is immeas
urably greater than these for upon
this resource all material things de-
pend. That is that indefinable some
thing that every Rotarian understands,
but no Rotarian can explain. 1t is the
indomitable spirit of our people. This
spirit is mixture of hope, courage,
enthusiasm, optimism, perseverance
and an irrepressible faith Gentlemen,
this spirit will move mountains. No
body knows-how this spirit starts to
grow; sometimes it comes from book,
sermon, person, an incident, ar
it is the indefnable something that
touches the springs OF our inner ma
lures and finds open the doors OF the
great within, revealing all their hid
den resources. Before this tremen-
dous force, no power on earth can
stand. 1t threw our boys into the
thickest of that deadly fight in the
Argonne, where the, soldiers of no
other country in the world had the
courage to stay. 1t is that spirit those
German officers referred to when they
said as they were framing the proposal
for an armistice: "There is no use
trying to whip those Yanks: they
don't even know when they are lick
ed"
"And of all the cities and villages
Of the world, none has more of this
spirit per square foot than Minot.
81 would urge upon members of the
Minot Rotary club the application of
this spirit of courage as one of the
greatest aids to our financial leaders
and business experts in the readjust-
ment period through which we are
passing. Financial experts say that
the present panicky condition of the
country is largely a matter Of psy--
cilOlOgy This is what David r. For.
gan Of the National City Bank Of Chi
cago, one of the great financial lead
ers of the country, said just a couple
Of days ago.
"There is no reason why we should
be pessimistic. Nothing ever yet was
half so bad as we had feared it would
be, and that is true in this case. |
have no faith in the pessimists who
are predicting hard times for two or
three years-that is all bosh. Two or
three months is nearer the truth. The
pessimists fail to take into considera-
ton the purchasing power of 105,OO0,-
900 well fed American people. 1t is
true that the price of. farm products
has dropped 25 per cent amounting to
five billions of dollars; it is equally
true that the things the farmer must
buy will also drop, so that his money
will go just>as far now as it did when
crops brought more money.
"a similar optimistic note was
sounded by r. 4. Barron, president Of
the Second National bank, Friday
These statements all emphasize the
fact that fundamentally conditions
are sound. What we need most of all,
is restoration Of public confidence;
desire upon the part Of every busi-
nessman to render the greatest service
to his customers; willingness on the
part of the employee to give dol
lars worth Of service for every dollar
received. We all need to catch the
great Rotarian vision that He profits
most who serves best and that when
ever there is any conflict between ser"
vice and self, service is always to take
precedence
LET us then enter 1921 with an un-
quenchable faith. Let us crowd out of
our lives every vestige Of envy and
malice. Let us Danish every thought
Of doubt or lurking fear. Let us re-
member that every great accomplish
ment in the annals Of the world is a
triumph Of optimism. Let us say
with Newman:
Keep thou my feet; do not ask
to see the distant scene; one. step
enough for me. So long thy power
has blest me, sure it will lead me on;
DER moor and fen, o'er crag and tor
rent till the night is gone; and with
the morn those angel faces smile which