Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 161, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1915 — CHANGED HIS THEORY [ARTICLE]

CHANGED HIS THEORY

MEEK MAN GOT TIRED OF BEING IMPOSED UPON. Finally Decided There Was Nothing In the Idea and Went Strongly on the Other Tack—Waxed Rich and Fat. Once upon a time therw was a man who had a wonderful disposition. Nothing ruffled him. Mild-mannered and gentle, he went about his business regularly on week-days and attended church regularly on Sundays. His favorite beatitude was, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” He was constantly hoping that someone would strike him on the cheek, so that he could turn the other one, and he always kept handy a cloak, which, in obedience to the Biblical injunction, he could give also to anybody who might take his coat It was his policy In political and economic matters invariably to be agreeable, generous, and self-effacing. When the politicians broke their promises, he always supposed they must have had a good reason for so doing. He believed that the trust magnates were more interested in the welfare of the country than in their own profits, and whenever the trusts raised prices he assumed that the poor owners wouldn’t have done It unless it was absolutely necessary. Thus, until he was past middle age, was his serenity undisturbed, and he kept getting poorer all the time. Finally he was down and out altogether, whereupon he went to the banker with whom he had deposited all his life and who happened to be also the chief owner of the local street railway company which was famous throughout the country for high rates and poor service. When the man asked the banker for a temporary loan the banker was very, very kind to the man, and, with tears in his eyes, explained that there was no one in all the world to whom he would rather lend money than to the man, but the fact was that business was business and finance was finance, and he did not consider the man a good risk, because he was too easy-going. The man went away and began to brood over his situation. For the first time in his life he found himself fearing lest his temper get the better of him. He kept on brooding, and then he discovered that he was actually getting mad, and the more he brooded the madder he , got. He muttered, ’“Blessed are the meek!’ Bah! Accursed are the meek, for they shall be imposed upon!” He began to judge everybody on the theory that they would judge him whether he judged them or not. He declared that any man who struck him on the cheek had better get out of the way if he did not want to get a fusillade of blows in return, and if a fellow took his coat, he would make him give back a whole suit. His fortunes immediately changed for the better, and in a short time he became so influential that nothing was ( done in the community without first securing his approval. Moral—Whom the gods would preserve they first make mad. —Ellis O. Jones, in Ldfe.