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THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
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ABOUT GOVKllXMEX'J'S.
.HERE Is nn infinite difference be
tween ruling and being mlod. A
sltivo feels no responsibility; bo Is u ma
chin" His work mny bo of excellent
qua y, but be has never learned lo plan
audi c cute. As long as held in shack
leg uin.li cannot advance. Ho has nothing
to firphis ambition. He sees bis wit from
one eid to the other alid knows theie is
no escape. Hismind is circumscribed no
less than bis body.
A step higher in the social scale we find
the lion. enfranchised freeman, whose case
is less degraded but equally hopeless.
When not oppressed his lot in a happy
one, but when tyrannical laws are enacted
the path to relief is closed to him.
That man who has a voice in govern
mcut occupies a position which calls forth
nil that is groat and good in his nature.
He is required to face questions of the
most comprehensive character. It is nec
essary to look outside himself, just as it
is necessary to study other dispositions
than one's own in order to become a com
petent judge of human nature. The truth
of the adage, "What is one man's moat is
another's poison," is not doubteu by tlio
prudent legislator, who is trying to adjust
the laws to suit all classes. Human re
quirements are as varied as the soul.
A despot, never so wise, finds it impos
sible to treat all with equal favor. Ho
cannot look at things from the standpoint
of the people, and thus bis proclamations
arc burdensome to some, indulgent to
others. The poorer classes, who have no
tribunal of appeal except violence, are
flanked by two evils. Tlioy must either
submit to bounjuitly oppressed orstir up
a revolution, and in the latter c-se insulll-
clout organization commonly proves thoir
ruin. Occasionally the Insurgents are in
the wrong, but whether this bo true or
not, disinterested nations sneer at incipi
out i evolutions and sagely remark thai -it
is not the place of the illiterate to make
laws. "Good statute,'' thoy say, "aro
almost bovond the power of a wise man ;
then let the mob stand aside." Such 10
markH ar" nulicnlly viong. They show
a poor knowledge of character. No mat'.
tor how ignorant I am, thoro aio some
things in which! am a more compciu
judgo than a. one oho. My porsuial
wants arc mine, and the wise man is
incompetent to judge of them. Who is to
blame for my lack of knowledge? Perhaps
7 am in pari, ccr'ainlyl am maker of ihe
laws who keeps my mind so cramped that
it cannot expand. If ignorance be a
erimi, wise men are the chief criminals.
The conclusion is thus reached that
there must be a non frictional safety-valve
in every well organized government
Monarchies aro well enough as long as
the ruler is wisp, but just as soon us a dolt
or a tyrant comes to the throne jealousies
and soon open conflicts arise botwtcn the
people and their King. The monarch ic
fuses to listen to the cry of distress which
comes from the people, and the latter will
not submit. Assassination and anarchy
often result.
The true republic rises above this difll
culty. Her each man knows what he
most wants and submits it to the nation.
The demands nre'irtunoious, but experi
ence teaches that It, best servo oneself one
must accommodate his neighbor; hence a
grand compromise is entered into. Men
find that, if not from disposition, at least
I from policy, the -'Golden Rule" must be
obeyed. It may go hard with some, but
their narrow views are gradually broad
cued and they become better men from be
ing obliged to treat their countrymen with
liberality. Then, too, how much differ
ently do they regard the government than
citizens of an absolute monarchy. In the
latter case when a bad law is enacted, the
poor oppiessed people feel at perfect lib
criy to break it whenever they can do so
with safely; when the law is good, they
aro not grateful. On the other hand, those
who have a voice in the government n
once set to work fo-vct a bad law ropcal
ed ; when a good law is passed they feel
a personal interest in its success and
guard it with jealous care. They reason
thus: "The law is mine: I helped to
make it; I shall be the last to break it."
Other tilings being equal, a man's man.
hood is measured by his responsibility.
"He who is an hireling carelh not for the
sheep." In a republic every mat is mix.
ions to lie well informed. The principles
of good government are studied by tno
day laborer as well as by the the politi
cian; in fact all are politicians with
spheres of greater or less extent. Under
such clrcuinsiances intellectual advance,
mont is a moral certainty. The voter is con
stniitly stimulated to investigate for him.
self; his feeble energies aro aroused and
strengthened, lie finds new fuel, as ho
advances, lo feed the newly enkindled
flame within; and finally as a result of the
franchise right, this man, at first so igno.
rant, appears beloro us a cultured, en
lightened citizen.
ONE WOK,
YE mighty Nimrods who do take
delight in scaring nigh unto death
Ibis aquatic bird in particular, and others
of the feathered tribe in general, listen
ye unto me for I will advise yo as a sage.
Upon the bunks of yo Salt creek, upon
the Sabbath of the Hebrew were congre
gated lour youths who were contempla
ling with murderous design one innocent
little duck which was floating compla
cently upon the briny deep. Hearken
yo unto mo and I will relate what fol
lowed. Two of ye youths who were inoie
bloodthirsty than their companions, he
took themselves upon their knees acro
a league of meadow-land in ordet that
they might creep upon that duck and take
it unawares. And Ihoy reeked mid they
reeked until they were ensconced behind
the trunk of a goodly sumach bush,
whence the duck was beholden by them,
lint they were safe from the searching
glance of that wild ecd seer of ye wateis.
The boldest youth, with groans and im
prccntions, assisted by yo other bold
youth, placed the howitzer against his
muscular arm and when ye murderous
weapon was placed upon a brunch of ye
goodly sumach tree, it was carefully ad
justed in order uu there might bo a con
tinuous line between the fiery, flashing
eye of ye bold, bad youth, and the center
of the vertebral column of ye innocent
duck. The howitzer was primed, and
having first been duly charged with
blasting powder, grape shot and canister,
it was discharged. Ye boy! O where was
he? Ask of the winds which round him
stiew the fragments of his forty-two!
He gathered himself together and gazed
with wiany a lhreat.-upoii a dunk which
was wending its way to a harbor more
secure where it would not be disturbed bv
wicked gamesters.
Mouai.. A howitzer is a dangerous
gun; especially when it shoots in two di
rcclions at the same time, and when ducks
aro to bo sought, don't go so far away
from home. This is a true tale.
An Irishman having heard that a cor
tain astronomer has discovered an astar
oid, remarked : ' Bcdad, he may have his
asteroid, but for myself, oi prefer a horse
tor roido." Yale Notes.
Lecture upon the rhinocorous. Prof:
"I must bog you to give mo your undi
vidod attention. It is absolutely impossi
blc that you can form a true idea of this
hideous animal, unless you keep your
eyes fixed on mo." Mercury.
Psychology Class. "By acquit cd per
ception a man can can tell by knocking
on a barrel head whether it is full" or emp
ty." First .Junior (aside) "You can't
toll whether tho cider is hard or not by
knocking on the baivel." Second Junior
(aside) "No, but you can tell by knock
ing at the bung." Oberlin Iieciew.
Said a female teacher to the class in
composition : " Make u rhyming couplet
including the words nose, toes, corn, kct
tie, ear, two, and boil." In a fov minutes
ahoy submitted the tollowing: "Aboil in
the Kettle's worth two on your nose, and
a corn on the ear is worth two on your
toes."