The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-05-12
Howe About:
Ordinary Men
Too Much Charity
Parental Love
By ED HOWE
@. 1893. Bell syndicate.-WNU Service.


I RECALL being startled some years
ago on reading a statement In
book that only the ordinary men have
real intelligence; that poets, philoso-
pliers, professors and prophets go so far
In their speculations that they finally
camp far beyond the truth.
! was startled by the statement be-
cause throughout my life have been
reading books of the Intelligentsia de-
claring that ordinary people are weak
creatures. and must be constantly d.
rected by preachers and writer's.
think this great compliment was
paid us by Herbert Spencer; and there
Is some evidence to warrant 1t. In
Russia the ordinary working Ameri-
cans are accepted as superior men,
and sent for as foremen In building
factories, railroads, power and irriga-
ton dams, etc. But note the contempt
the Russian leaders express for our
writer's and statesmen! None Of their
notions are accepted.
give credit above to Herbert Spen-
Ger for the compliment. 1t may have
been Samuel Butler; / should have
better remembered the name, in graft
tude. Anyway, both men have come
down to US with regulations for I'M
usual intelligence and learning; and
let ordinary working citizens remem-
Der that such a man believed they are
the source of real intelligence, and in
future combat mistaken notions Of
writer's and statesmen with more
vigor.
The Soviet leaders In Russia have
some excellent ideas. One is that the
thousands of idle and mischievous
men in the big towns must give good
excuse for remaining or get out into
the country, and earn an honest liv-
ing on farms. In every town there
are many characters known to police,
who live by scheming almost or en-
tirely robbery. These men are respon-
sible for nine-tenths of the law break
ing; the ordinary citizen with a good
job does not require the attention Of
police a half dozen times in his life
time. The most serious trou-
BILE in the world today is too much
charity for the more than half loafers,
dead beats and criminals. And this
excessive charity is new growth. I
distinctly remember time when all
communities had vagrancy law; va
grants were arrested with considerable
promptness and discretion, and made to
work on the rock pile Nearly every
where now the Migrants are in charge
of public affairs.
Writers highly compliment mothers
in some ways, and misrepresent them
viciously in others.
Writers almost universally charge
that mothers do not properly educate
daughters In sex matters. There new
er was a mother who neglected such
education.
1 have long believed the love Of par
ents for children is the thing that new
er fails. And parents add a patience
and self-sacrifice In dealing with their
children that Is about the most credit
able thing to be said of our miserable
race
Some parents, poor wretches, have
bad judgment, but fierce devotion to
children never fails so far as l have
observed. If love for our children
will save US we will all finally get to
heaven.
Some children may fail to sit on the
right hand of God because of mean
ness to their parents, but IL love of
children is sufficient virtue to save us,
expect to find all parents there.
An English writer says: "A boy is
more often disqualified than qualified
In economic life by prolonged educa.
ton" H. G. Wells has long been say
ing time spent in university is vast
ed, and a training in idleness and
rowdyism. England is deliberately
cutting its educational budget; and 1t
has never been as foolish about edu-
cation as have Americans who have
steadily made it more expensive and
ineffective.
One of the impressive incidents of
my life has been knowing an old wom-
an who had had two worthless hus-
bands, several children, and on an av-
erage not more than half enough to
eat and wear. She almost worships
every man able to make good living.
Such man Is her ideal, and success.
rate men In the same way. Those
who make good living, pay their
debts with reasonable promptness,
help somewhat In decent human prog
ress, and are In line for honest promo
ton, are our best men. From their
ranks come the millions who have
slowly improved their manners and
their services, and been able to distin-
guish their race. There are many linn
itations in the creature called man,
but II he is ambitious to get out of
life the best there Is admittedly In 1t,
he is good enough and a success.
A man robbed me, and, when he con-
fessed, wept But his tears didn't
help me, or him, any.
1t Is a sad commentary on men that
the greatest movement they ever en-
gagged in, the recent World war. was
to destroy each other. starve women
and children, and seriously retard the
civilization they had accomplished. If
a man should suggest that the people
of the world join in general move
ment to help everybody. he would be
laughed at: certainly not encouraged
everywhere as was the man who pro-
posed the last war.