| Show BOILING IT DOWN I I An analysis of a college protestors recently published reflections on c pan j sloii gIven something like the following I results The only possible us well as the only right motive I of a nations policy IP selfanlercsU That was our motive when we went Inlo the Spanish American war though we pretended it was not Those who argue that we should do this or lhat from motives of duty or generosity are Imbecile Those i wlm critlclflo the Government for what It has already done arc also imbecile To exclude the Constitution from the Islands Is tyranny to extend it to them Is dangerous to let the Islands g01s impossible If ve govern them as de i pendencies we shall sacrifice their Interest In-terest to ours If we admit thpin as Slates we shall ruin ourselves 1 Great moral Ideas as a bnsls of national conduct con-duct are lurking places of corruption and abuse The advantage of this view is that It arms a man agalnsl attack from any quarter If an opponent talks aboul moral duty you smash him with the selflnteresl dictum if ho talks about selfinterest you smash him with morality What then Thai is the point beyond which this class of thinkers j think-ers never go Having defended thrlr I discontent against all comers they rest I socuie Ve have done wrong and we are going lo keep on doing It and we cannot help ourselves and we arc fools 1 to try Besides the pleasure of having established these truth a man may J I feel a pride I In having his own kind of I discontent There Is a rivalry among these people as among collectors A I man likes to feel that his discontent is I bigger than that of others or has better bet-ter reasons for it No one need suppose that a large political or social grievance I griev-ance makes its possessor unhappy Running things down Is a somber sporl but il is a sport just the same I men go Into it for its own sake and for j I get their peisonal cares in the ardor of competition It Is like bowling and a man like tills college professor who can roll down every element of virtue wisdom and success In a single ten strIke Is the envy of all the rest New I York Commercial Advertiser |
