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Show Howe About: Good Writing Hypocrisy Conservatives , 1933, Bell Syndicate. WNU Service, By ED HOWE TUE reviewers of books mention one lately appearing, and written writ-ten by an old man, who begins by saying: "I have read a great deal, and found books so bad I am encouraged en-couraged to nttempt one myself. What are the mistakes in writing to which 1 object? Usually too great length, lack of clearness, and of honesty. (This last fault Is so general it is said there has never yet been printed an honest book.) I have worked a long time at this writing, and, now that it Is complete, com-plete, I find it has the faults of those to which I have objected; It is at least no better than the average, and possibly not so good. So I have concluded the good writing writ-ing long demanded is no more likely, to become the rule than good behavior, be-havior, good looks, good times, good sense, or good health. I have rewritten my book three times, having hav-ing heard that genius is no more than taking great pains, but now almost believe the last draft worse than the first." Most complaints about good principles begin vith charges of hypocrisy against those who profess pro-fess to practice them. Start any man tlrading, and he will soon be declaring he Is the only candid, honest man willing and able to look the facts in the face, and propose an Intelligent remedy. . . . That Js the way people have always been; God has been unable to do anything with ourselves. . . . Why not try a universal suicide pact? That might bring about the flow of blood so long expected of rioters. riot-ers. . . . Ten members of a vigilance vig-ilance committee once caught a horse thief, but all hated to hang him. Finally they went Into a saloon to drink and talk It over. When all were drunk, including the prisoner, members of the committee' commit-tee' urged him to shoot himself. They said they had families, and didn't care to have blood on their hands to think about for years, but the prisoner replied that while he wslhed to be a good fellow, and reasonable, he could not go that far. The men finally rode away, still arguing with the prisoner. . . . I did not hear how it finally came out, but probably the" prisoner continued con-tinued to argue he didn't steal the hqrse, was generally a better man than those objecting to him. and that the request to shoot himself was unreasonable. During the present big storm, one of the sayings heard most frequently fre-quently Is that conservative thought has been given up. It will return ; that Is one thing we may depend upon. There was never a safe storekeeper, store-keeper, mechanic, father, banker, husband, citizen, farmer, until he had somewhat learned the truths of conservatism; practice of Its rules decides the degree of his promotion pro-motion or failure. Conservatism Is not a doctrine, but a practice nature na-ture enforces. Nature Is conservative; its worst storms blow themselves out. Floods and plagues have destroyed millions, mil-lions, but soon the sun shines peacefully again on greater numbers num-bers who have somehow found shel ter. Nothing 13 permanently radical; always conservatism wins as a natural nat-ural law we cannot escape. Most people are slouchy, and do not like it when neat persons suggest sug-gest that they clean up their houses, yards, cut the weeds In fence corners, or remove the spots on their clothes. Sllerlus says in his memoirs that the principal trouble he had with his wives was In dlvldlag money he never had. Women, he explains, rarely know how difficult It Is for men to make money, and thus always believe their husbands hus-bands have more than they acknowledge. ac-knowledge. Daughters have the same difficulty with fathers, and Sllerlus expresses thankfulness he has none. Sllerlus was prominent in old Rome as soldier and statesman, states-man, but nothing in his book or life indicates he was a money maker." mak-er." Few men have the gift, but women believe every man has or should have It Are officials of the law doing as well In their contests with outlaws out-laws as can be reasonably expected? expect-ed? Near my town thirteen officers with machine guns lately surrounded surround-ed a house In which were only two outlaws handicapped by having their women with them. After considerable con-siderable firing the outlaws got away, wounding three of their assailants. as-sailants. . . . Here were thirteen oflicers pitted against two law violators. vio-lators. The bandits had no advantage advan-tage except courage; they did not even have the new steel shields with which the oflicers had lately boon supplied by the county. . . . Thirteen Thir-teen oflicers to two bnndlts, and the bandits won. It really seems fresh discouragement for law as ad-j ad-j ministered by politics. |