The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-12-28
Howe About:
Virtues of Quietness
Selfshness
Good Americans
q. 1888. Bell syndiea.e.~wNU Service.
Q. 1888. Bell syndiea.e-wNu Service.

THERE is much to be said for this
L quietness so highly recommended.
II q man talks q great deal In trying
to fool me, can usually make good
guess as to what he is really up to.
The man not selfish is insane; puts
his hand in the fire, whereas sane peo-
pie know burning is the worst pain
there is, and handle fire with caution.
Lately a man committed a terrible
crime in a school house. The neigh
bors saturated the school house with
coal oil, tied the criminal on the roof,
and burned it. {. The man was
clearly insane, and unable to under
stand the simple law of crime and
punishment, cause and effect.
One would think, from the number
of Abe Lincoln memorials, that America
never had more than three or four
really good men in 1t. have
myself known thousands Of really good
Americans.
I live in a Kansas town, with Mis-
souri,, where saloons have been set up,
just across river bridge. I lately
visited one of these saloons, as mat
ter Of curiosity. More women than
men were present. The place was as
orderly and clean as Sunday school
picnic serving only lemonade. {.
Let me record that never before have
I seen men and women I knew to be
respectable mingling freely In an open
saloon. It is another of the new things
now SO common In the United States.
I have the natural human DISPOSE
ton to hover around the mysterious,
the new, the unknown, but, in consid-
ering them during long life, have
learned caution, and wonder others
have not. .-,s.
have been unable to decide on the
best man I have ever known. Some
times think he is noted publisher
Of magazines have associated with
intimately. -. At other times ]
think he may be colored man who
works about my yard. Again con-
slider an eminent physician have long
known; at other times I consider
carrier who delivers my mail, and
grocer who sells me supplies.
AS far back as can remember
everybody has been longing to see
everybody punished. 49,. Well, for
once we have all had our way; know
of no one who is escaping punishment
now.
II can't see that he is very smart"
those OF US in the audience say of
those on the platform. $50 far
as that goes. none Of us are. That's
what's the matter with u.s.
The story of neglect of old soldiers
does not come entirely, or mainly,
from the veterans themselves. Back
Of every soldier is half dozen or
more relatives who further enlarge
the story Of his wrongs, and spread it
into every nook and corner where a
taxpayer may be Influenced by pa
triotism or sympathy. =. Office hold
ers are also vast army, and have
a large number of relatives and
friends back of them clamoring for
still greater waste. Almost every one
who votes is supporting relative or
a friend intrenched at the public crib.
When / meet a man on road, street,
farm, in shop or office, I can usually
understand him, but If I meet him in
a book, or when he is speaking in
public, have found, as general rule,
he uses bigger words and expressions
than have been accustomed to. In
trying to understand him, finally be- |
come Indifferent, and dc not care much |
what ne says. / am able to |
understand only the natural, simple
things have long been accustomed
to-; it is the way I have learned, and
can do no better. And do not apol-
ogize much, believing the apology |
should come from the other man.
We often hear of q boy that is |
wild" Only I know how wild / was
when young, or how much tanner |
am now, and, through all my reflection |
Is realization I would have been better |
off had I been tanned sooner. We are |
all masters in our natural dispositions,
never fully realizing we are subjects, |
and must patiently earn what we get |
In competition with others as kingly |
as ourselves. Children in nurseries
show the princely disposition, and are |
punished; young men lately out OF |
school look for kingdoms to reign over
and encounter overwhelming rebellion,
Some of them, when old, still babble |
Of sovereignty to be realized beyond |
the grave. know nothing Of the un.
country, but have tried to
the known world in which |
have so long lived.