From the Harrisburg Telegraph, September 2, 1914.
I am not a sage or seer,
There are many problems here
That I couldn’t solve correctly if I tried.
That I’m not so very wise
Is a fact I recognize,
And it’s something that I do not try to hide.
But in riding to and fro,
I have noticed as I go
Men engaged in worldly conflicts loud and long,
And a dollar or a dime
I will wager every time,
The fellow with the loudest voice is wrong.
On the trolly cars you’ll find
Men of every sort and kind,
And they settle every problem that is known.
They will quickly put to rout
Every questionable doubt,
And they mock at every answer but their own.
I’ll admit that I don’t know
Half the things they say are so,
That I’ve doubts on many questions that are strong;
But I’m sure it’s safe to bet,
If a wager you can get,
That the fellow with the loudest voice is wrong.
When a man begins to shout
And waves his arms about,
When he voices his opinion in a shriek;
When he works with lungs and jaw
And he tries to overawe
His brothers who are mild and sane and meek,
When he tries to advertise
To the world that he is wise,
And he seeks to get the notice of the throng
By the volume of his chatter;
What the subject doesn’t matter,
It is always safe to wager that he’s wrong.
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