Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-27

These people you can't depend on
what about them?
They snap you up the moment you
give them an opportunity.
Never once do they fail to criticize.
That soft answer which Is supposed to
turn away wrath is not for them.
They love wrath, ire and its asso-
ciated vices.
Far from turning them away, either
sideways, obliquely or straight ahead,
these states are welcomed by them
with open arms.
Every chance to say the mean thing,
or take the wrong attitude, Is seized
Immediately, as II 1t were a precious
opportunity, which, Of course, it ito
such persons.
In life there are numerous occasions
when one man may take advantage of
another. We do not refer to the grand
moments, but to ordinary, everyday
affairs.
Opportunities are coming up con-
thoughtless word, may be held to rep
resent the lifelong conviction of the
speaker.
The man you can't depend upon Ito
be DECENT, but whom you always can
depend upon to seize upon the oppor-
tunity to be unfair, pretends that the
uttered words, whatever they may be,
represent the precious truth of your
life.
Like an animal upon a smaller one,
they pounce with all their vigor upon
the careless word, or small group Of
words.
Never afterward do they let 60,
unless they are forced to, either
fIrF0tfYh 20 k1aA
Of justice of others.
This is shown best In courts Of law,
where relentless attorney, after
harassing a witness into making a
statement which every one knows he
does not mean, pretends thereafter to
believe that he did, indeed, mean lust
that one thing since time began, and
would continue to mean it through all
eternity.
Countless similar opportunities 10
make great capital out Of small mat
tiers are found in everyday life. The
gentleman or gentlewoman refuses to
accept them. The other type glories
In them, revels in them, and never
fails to hurl itself upon them.
Their mental eyes are quicker than
those of hawks. No sooner Is a slight
mistake made, either In fact or in SEN
timent, or other matter, than these
bloodhounds cast themselves forward
with cleaning eyes.
Here is the very thing they have
been waiting for, longing for, praying
Tor, and you, unfortunately, have given
It TO them. You knew better, of course,
Past experience had taught you that
it is safer to wave red flag at q bull
than to give these persons the slightest
opportunity to misrepresent you or your
thoughts.
A favorite method with them Il To
play the hypocrite. In the privacy of
their own discussions they are willing
to admit certain facts, but they hold
that one must live in public differently
than in private, and that there are two
sets Of facts, one for private holding,
the other for public exhibition.
DO you but dare voice what they
regard as o private opinion in public,
there IL nothing for them to do, accord
Ing to their curious code, but to assail
you with cleaning eyes, indignant ex.
preston and raised voice.
And the audience-there always Is an
audience-unfortunately finds itself in
the position Of taking their side Of the
matter. This Is the mob mind in an
elemental form. Each member of the
crowd might know you to be right, but
for the purpose Of Saving his face
with the indignant one and to prevent
him from turning his nastiness his way
he pretends to agree with him, such