The Red Cloud chief., 1921-11-03
EVERY MAN A KING.
Why shouldn't we initiate ?

Why shouldn't we initiate?
This question may well be asked in
view of the advice given by Villa ST.
bert Gather, distinguished Nebraska
author, in her lecture here.
at seems to me as / travel out
through the great middle west, the
people are trying to initiate New
York." Miss Gather said. Her OBJ
serving eyes have seen the smaller
cities aping the greater. And she
pleads for development of irdividu-
ality.
If New York is successful and truly
great, would it not be proper to copy
that city's industry, gaiety, serious
ness and sadness? Should we not
even initiate a great personality?
Decidedly not. limitations are new
er the original. And counterfeits are
an abomination. Monkeys initiate; so
do children until they grow up and
learn to reason. Intelligence seeks
the cause ard tries to discover prin-
ciples. Where there is complete
agreement between an individuals
standards and those of his community,
it is proper for him to conform. But
he cannot agree with custom that is
opposed to his essential ideas Of what
is right without becoming an i'm
proper person.
The proper person seeks full eX-
preston of the essential qualities of
his being. If Il community or even
the world does not give him room, he
is apt to be called as improper per-
son. But so long as he remains sin
cere and devoted to the standard of
what he considers correct, he is
proper to himself even if he is not TO
the community standard
To men who are really proper, the
race owes whatever progress it has
made. The so-called proper" person,
who bows to conventional modes of
conduct because it is considered right,
regardless of whether it is, is among
the host Of imitators who contribute
nothing to progress.
When the race, the community or
) the individual becomes more interest
: ed in discovering principles that are
eternal, many old customs will be
reverenced more highly. Many will be
abandoned and viewed as moss
grown ruins Of the medieval age.
The desire must be to discover the
spirit that made men, cities and ma
tions great. And again tradition
must be challenged in the reputation
it has given outstanding men. The
individualist travels a rugged road.
. Perhaps it is best so. The imitator
of others may travel safer and
easier road, but he is not entitled to
wear the crown jewels.
: Miss Gather, as Omaha had an op-
B. portunity to learn during her short
visit, practices what she breaches. She
e has the courage to be simply and
D frankly herself. She proclaims the
e truth as she believes it, serenely in
y different whether her angle Of vision
!, be that of the multitude or not She
: does not strive to make "a good i'm
preston" in the conventional sense
Y She would scorn to resort to protec'
= tive coloraton. Her passion is to eX'
= press herself, to reveal, as she seS
n it, human life with its joys and sor'
t rows, its frailties and beauty, its
}. it, human life with its joys and sor
e needs, its aspirations, it's rights that
h dignity it, honestly and with candor
o 1t is this essential integrity o.
8 mind and soul that has made it posi-
BILE for Villa Gather to do work wortl
while, work that will live. The worlC
is surfcted with people who do no
care to be themselves, who are afraiC
to trust their own minds. who le
j. others do their thinking for them, anc
regulate their living for them, an,
: form their flabby characters 70
them. Whether writers or what not
r they count in the census figures and il