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REVIM
THE
VOL. LX. No. 7
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 373 Fourth Ave., New York, Feb. 13, 1915
SING
$ 8 E 0 ?PE I R$IK£ E N T S
I
AGK of will power has undoubtedly driven many a man to commit dishonorable acts.
Recently, while chatting with a friend, reference was made to an individual with whom we
_^ were both acquainted, and who had been connected with a ship which struck upon the shoals
of financial disaster.
After the failure disclosures were made which revealed some very questionable transactions. In
fact, it was alleged that criminal charges would be made as the outcome of after-failure developments.
Among other things, it was shown that the company had issued notes totaling a vast sum which
must have been issued with the sanction of the heads of the business, and the notes appeared to be
legitimate and representing actual business transactions, yet it was proven that no sales had been really
made to correspond with the amounts represented on the notes. In fact, they were nothing more nor
less than fake paper made out to relieve trying situations through securing large amounts of money.
These were unloaded through various banks, where they were accepted as regular two-name commer-
cial paper.
It was proven upon investigation that the flotation of this paper was not in accordance with honor-
able commercial usage, and the chief partners in the enterprise secreted themselves behind an asso-
ciate upon whom they unloaded the blame and pleaded no knowledge of his acts. In brief, he was the
"goat."
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My friend, while discussing this event, said that he thought the men were not bad at heart. They
were simply weak. They just lacked will power.
I claim that we could apply the same thing to any line of criminals, no matter whether amateurs
or professionals.
The question of will power comes up every day in life; but if we permit the evil thoughts to domi-
nate how can we expect to be free from those influences which may absolutely enslave us?
I affirm that it is possible for human beings to put their emotions under absolute control.
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While , theoretically, every person insists that he is strong enough to control any emotion or appe-
tite that any other individual can get under subjection, in practice such reforms are not so easily
carried out.
Men assert that they are not slaves to any appetite, that they can stop drinking and smoking any
moment they want to, and they expect us to credit such statements, in spite of the fact that we have
learned by experience that those who are most eager to boast of their mental and moral strength are
the last to put these forces into operation.
It is the same way with those who are slaves to their emotions—those who tremble with fear when
they think of the future, as well as those who waste their life worrying over the little things, or, who
are quick to give way to anger; and yet, if they had only exercised their will power, they could control
themselves readily.
For example, men who resort to profanity most easily when among those of their own sex seldom
make a slip of this sort when in company of ladies. They have acquired the habit of using profane
language so frequently that it has become almost second nature with them. At the same time their
sense of the proprieties puts such a check upon their tongues that when conditions require they can
control an otherwise uncontrollable habit. That is the difference between the higher-developed speci-
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