In a letter to Mrs. Carlyle, written when he was a young man, he outlined the purpose which he carried out, and which explains his usefulness to his fellow-men: "I have a great hope of disturbing the public peace in various directions." This was his way of saying that he hoped to stir up dissatisfaction, to provoke irritation, impatience and a determination to do better among the unfortunate. He did good, because he awoke thought in thousands of others, in millions of others. Editorial writers, don't you know that stirring up dissatisfaction is the greatest work you can do? Tell the poor man ten thousand times: "There is no reason why you should be overworked. There is no reason why your children should be half-fed and half-educated. There is no reason why you should sweat to fatten others." Tell them this often enough, stir up their determination sufficiently--they will find their own remedies. If you want to drive out the handful of organized rogues that control politics and traffic in votes, don't talk smooth platitudes. Tell the people over and over again that the thieves ARE thieves, that they should be in jail, that honest government would mean happier citizens, that the INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN is responsible. Keep at it, and the country will be made better by those who alone can make it better--the people. ---- On the front platform a fat policeman said, after deep thought: "Well, it's an ill wind that blows nobody good." The driver, this writer and an Italian workman looked at the policeman in deep admiration. It was so evident that he had the making in him of an expensive editorial writer. He could say so solemnly and authoritatively what every living man knew by heart. Suppose you stop spouting platitudes, editorial gentlemen, and try your hand at stirring up plain, everyday antagonism to existing false conditions. "Disturb the public peace," as Ruskin put it. You must know that you can't win the fights individually, so be like the Norse maidens that stirred up the real fighters to do their duty. Keep singing to the public that it is their duty to fight. They will fight and win, and thank you for the suggestion. IMAGINATION WITHOUT DREAMING THE SECRET OF MATERIAL SUCCESS "Marconi has imagination without being a dreamer." Thus Mr. Serviss gave an explanation of material achievement and material success on big lines. WITHOUT imagination a man may prosper relatively. He may live comfortably and die contented. But at best such a man will only follow in beaten paths. He will only do what others have done before him. He will not receive any of the great rewards which humanity offers to those whose IMAGINATION opens for the benefit of all new fields of thought, of successful material effort. ---- In material achievement there are two elements--executive force (which may be sub-divided into an indefinite number of classifications) and the great creative power, IMAGINATION.