Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-10

by fair means or foul? Do you disguise your
autocratic notions from yourself as well az
others, under mask of benevolence? -
Or are you in the third class, the vast mob
of eager dupes, the silly sheep who will follow
any leader into any fold or over any cliff, the
herds that push and crowd and trample under
even those who try to escape?
Are YOU one of those who do not vince at
the expression "the common man. Common
woman has quite a different meaning; yet
think it no greater insult than common man."
/ always suspect the man who uses it of being
a common demagogue.
I ONCE said 10 an acquaintance:
i "Are YOU promoter" He answered: II
am one; but I'll break your head if you call me
one"
So l am common man and made of clay.
In rainy weather, my name is mud But / don't
like to have another common man call me
common man to my face.
Everybody is common. in sense, and the
most aristocratic families cannot trace their
aristocracy very far back. AS they say, there
are only three generations from shirtsleeves to
shirtsleeveS.-
When l hear somebody bowling about his
interest in the common man" / always think
his real theme is 1.-THE common man. and how
to keep him common" 1t seems to me that the
most important thing for any government to
do is to stand aside and let the common man
GEORGE WASHINGTON was the son of a
" widow, and so poor that he had to give up
school and begin earning his living as sur
veyor at the age of 16. There was another
boy who had little schooling He grew up irl
the English village of Avon, and went down Ia
London TO earn fortune. He came home rich,
and incidentally, the greatest poet and play
wright of his time, perhaps Of all time.
Lincoln was as common as dirt His mother
could not even read He knew dire poverty,
and made himself immortal among the greatest
of mankind.
Washington Shakespeare. Line n and
other men of sublime achievement began small
but never reached the heights through any
government aid, charity or subsidy. They
made their own opportunities and became the
supreme aristocrats of human history.
Yet some of our political theorists seem to
think that if they can stoop down and help
the common man, by confscating every penny
from the rich and so regulating affairs that the
poor may never become rich, they will have
brought on man-made paradise. They seem
to identify the common man the helpless
man.
WE CALL these theorists "dreamers" They
w are really destroyers of dreams-dreams
which whether realized or not, enrich the lives
of the poorest and kindle the hopes of all man.
kind.
How can we believe that these economic
novelties, these sickonomic ideas are better
than those that made this country great by
keeping the government weak and the citizens
strong, keeping the government out of business
and, as far possible, out of debt. Keeping
the citizen Independent and individual, and the
government group of his employees?
Those who are third-class Americans. and
proud of it. ought TO wear some distinguishing
badge that they may be recognized easily.
bV one another and by the first class Amer
can; and also make it easier for the second.
class American to know their own. They might
put on themselves some such label as Alexan-
der Pope wrote for dog collar:
III am his highness' dog at Kew, pray tell
me, sir, whose dog you?"