Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-02-11

--- ION on any
MIR. PICKERING thing. / have
lots of opinions, but not extreme
ones.
The person who makes his
mark in the world seems TO be
the one who is positive that the
world is going TO the dogs, and
says so; or is positive that God S
in his heaven and alls well with
the world, and says so.
I don't subscri be to either
theory. Even with the war and
all IL brings, 1 don't think the
world IL going TO pot. II lived
through the last war. It lived
through the Dark Ages. IL even
lived through the food. IL will
live through this.
And on the other hand, I don't
think that the world In going to
be wonderful rs soon "A we In
stitute somebody's Great Plan.
Maybe this In treason. but I don't
even think that Mr.. Henry Wal
lsce's world plans will work the
way he says they will.
I don't believe in any kind OF
extremism. believe in trying to
travel a more or less middle
course. And my reward for this
will be TO have bricks heaved at
me from the extremists on both
sides. They have only to duck
each others bricks. / have to
dodge bricks from both sides.
However. I'm satisfied. This is
my particular place, and this is
where I'll stay.
At that. once in a while some
body comes to the defense Of the
middle-of-the-roader. Wasn't il
Oliver Wendell Holmes who
urged the policy OF voting
against the majority in all
cases? There is probably a lot
of concealed wisdom in that.
As we see II. the world pro-
crosses by webbing. A firebrand
of a radical comes along and
offers some wonderful new idea.
At first. nobody pays any atten-
ton. Then people begin 10 believe
him, here and there. Suddenly
everybody halls him as a Great
Thinker, and accept his theories,
lock. stock and barrel.
And what happens? The
theory proves 10 per cent right,
and 90 per cent wrong. Every
body starts running in the
opposite direction, deserving the
wonderful theory, and goes pell-
nell into some reactionary
theory in the opposite direction.
II. too, turns out 10 be 10 per
cent right and 90 per cent
wrong.
We are distrustful, therefore,
Of most Of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
who reason everything out to
the last detail--and alp up
somewhere. We are also disap-
pointed In the unthinklng people
who spouse an idea and. In
stead Of knowing everything
about II, don't know anything
about II.
There's the story Of the genius
who cut two holes In the kitchen
door, n big hole for the big cat
to run through, and the little
hole for the little cat 10 run
through. That's your super-inteI-
lectuaI.
And then there's the fellow
who IL too lazy 30 think at all.
Just today I was told about the
science Of printing coupons In
newspapers. II you print
coupon at the corner Of the
page, people will tear II off and
send II In. II you put Il Mt the
bottom Of the page but NOT in
a corner, 50 people have 10 get
some scissors and cut Il out In
stead of tearing IL off, not nearly
as many coupons are used.
Lots Of people think the same
way they cut out coupons. I'm
less you make il extremely easy
for them, they just won't do il.
So here 1 sit, in the middle of
the road. waiting to be run over
once more. any time the mob
changes its mind and goes
stampeding from one extreme to
the other.
At least, every time the
stampede hits me. 1 slow il
down slightly, merely by being
in the way.
I'm not trying 10 persuade you
10 be a middle-of-the-roader.
That's up 10 you. But II you do
become one, remember TO bring
your bottle of arnica. You'll
need It.