152 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



what I write myself. When a correspon- 

 dent's views are given, they are given 

 as his views. They may be mine and 

 they may tiot. The absence of editori- 

 al comment is not to imply approval, nor 

 condemnation. I certainly would not al- 

 low what I regarded as a glaring error to 

 pass unnoticed; cut it sometimes seems 

 best to allow matter to stand upon its 

 own merits and the authority of the man 

 who wrote it — that is, with neither edito- 

 rial opposition nor editorial bolstering 

 up. When two correspondents are hav- 

 ing a heated controversy, I think it wis- 

 dom on the part of the editor to avoid 

 taking sides in the matter. 



Although Bro. Taylor is improving in 

 this respect, I think I better caution him 

 once more against hypercriticism. Don't 

 work with a microscope in your hand, 

 hunting for the infinitesimal errors. Get 

 upon the house-top, figuratively speaking, 

 and take a broad view of things ; and, as 

 I said in the December Review, point out 

 the errors that, if believed in and put in 

 practice, will lead to undesirable results — 

 let the others go. 



^EXTRACTED. 



DISCUSSIONS. 



Justice of More Importance than even Kind- 

 ness or Courtesy. 



Poetice Justice, with her lifted scale. 



Where. in nice V)alaiice, truth with gold she weighs. 



And solid pudding against empty praise.— poi'e. 



When a subject is up for discussion I 

 believe in discussing it most thoroughly; 

 in allowing it to be continued so long as 

 there remains anything of importance 

 that has not been said. The size of hives 

 has had a most thorough discussion. I 

 believe that every one has said all that he 

 cares to say on the subject, and that 

 there is really little more to say that can 

 be said. Of late quite a little has appear- 

 ed in the journals in regard to discussions 

 and how they ought to be conducted. It 



mavbe asked, what bearing has this sub- 

 ject upon bee-keeping? So long as lo- 

 calities, conditions, seasons and people 

 vary as they do, there will be strong dif- 

 ferences of opinion, and the truth can be 

 arrived at only from a most thorough ex- 

 change and compari.son of views and ex- 

 periences — in short, from discussion. A 

 large share of the contents of our bee- 

 journals is made up of argument. It can 

 not well be otherwise. Under these con- 

 ditions it is not time wasted to give some 

 thought to the manner in which these 

 discussions or arguments are conducted. 

 Of late we have had a short lecture or two 

 upon "journalistic courtesy," and have 

 been admonished to be kind and courte- 

 ous, but Mr. F. L. Thompson thinks that 

 there is something of still greater impor- 

 tance than kindness and courtesy, and 

 gives his opinion on the matter in the 

 following, that I copy from the Progres- 



Kindness and courtesy are excellent 

 watchwords, but experience proves them 

 incomplete. One may be both kind and 

 courteous, yet unjust; but if just, he is 

 not unkind. A journal which takes jus- 

 tice for a motto, and lives up to it, can 

 not go wrong. Justice includes every- 

 thing. 



Good resolutions are being taken by 

 some of the journals. This is commend- 

 able, — and would be still more edifying 

 if they could refrain from concluding 

 with, "and I intend to be holier than 

 thou." 



Discussion seems to be regarded with 

 much disfavor, to judge by the barren- 

 ness of suggestive comment on points in 

 previous issues. It is a pity, for to the 

 interchange and interdependence of 

 thoughts, rather than to their succession 

 in time, is due what vivifying influence 

 they may possess — "it makes red blood," 

 as the advertisements say. I suspect the 

 present situation is as much owing to 

 fashion as anything; and as usual the 

 fashion is set by a few, whom the un- 

 thinking crowd follow. I am retninded 

 of a very tiresome young one, who used 

 to be the bane of my earlier days when 

 he came with his folks on a visit. At the 

 slightest provocation, or when anything 

 occurred which could possibly be con- 

 strued as the exercise of an external in- 

 dependent judgment, he would set up a 

 woful howl — watching out of the corner 



