Show I 1 ASTRIDE THE FENCE I 1 almost everyone has noticed individuals divi duals dul who seem to have no very decided opinions on a given subject individuals who are too amiable to t be radically bad and too indifferent bo be essentially good they usually strive to please evi every ery body in everything and not onfre quenila fail to please anybody if any great question of public policy sharply divider public opinion they take a middle course generally in the hope of avoiding the shock of collision until it is certain which party is going to win then they usually join the successful faction occasionally a newspaper adapts this half way method and instead of meeting k fearlessly and discussing a candidly and firmly the j leading quest questions ious of the day it dodges all issues and strives to pat the backs back of men who take the tile opi op kotite eida of any given question I 1 by this course cour it hopes to out an existence by general flat tery and th thrive rive at the expense of I 1 all parties while it assists none I 1 this sort of a person or journal I 1 usually meets meets with hard bard luck men alen in the long run arc are apt to regard with contempt a paper or an individual that has no pronounced pur pu r pose whereas an outspoken honest able opponent will inspire r respect everywhere we may entire entirely lv dis agree agree b with a gent lemans principles priti aples or a journal journals policy but at the same sam d time we wo should admire honorable valor skill and arid ability even in a foe A As for ourselves relives se lives we cannot eit at astride the tile fence like a goodnature good nature natured d nonentity fawning fawn irig upon the forces which array themselves within the fields on both sides the laurels of battle are only to be won by the fearless is brave combatant no genuine man will respect his neighbor less because that neighbor honestly differs dif fiers with him in opinion nor will any sensible gentleman gentl emai I 1 allow the strength of an oppose opponents rits arguments to gener generate at e personal enmity with t the he highest regard for every individual i W who ho differs with I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 our views views we lye shall 1 courteously strive to io convince him of what we 1 33 con conceive eive to bo his error and if it should appear in the end that we fc ourselves are in reality at fault tault we will yield with a good grace anil and and anti not express our own chagrin i by using personal onal abuse eor or attempt ing to bulldoze an appon opponent nt whose arguments we cannot controvert or overthrow W I 1 |