The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-07-26

A-rc.Iuulccs
Az soon as man begins 10 think he begins to put
together his scraps Of knowledge and TO form
judgments. 70 affirm or deny this or that Il
something Ike the formula Of his thought. Ac-
cOrdlng 10 his associations and education every
man acquires some babltual opinions, around
which as ccnters hi5 mind inclines to arrange his
accommodating judgments OF men and things.
These prc-cXiotcnt opinions or prcJudgments are
what give rlsc to what Is called prejndjce. For
short time it seems that the child Is almost with
out prejudice, ut least Of II dsaereeablc kind, for
its judgments arc comparatively few and new.
The prcjudlccs of an old person are strong, cspc-
cally ifhc lives much in memory Of the past and
Is not close observer OF current opinions.
We would not be very far from the truth were
we to say that prejudice Is education. The prin-
ciples that arc first inculcatcd are among the last
to be CradiCatcd from the mind Just as In the mind
Of the aged the memory OF the earliest deeds OF
life is most tenacious. "Ohf fathers" are gcncr-
ally the first persons that we trust and even after
we learn that other PERSONS fathers have enter
tanned opinions better than our own, 1t costs
struggle 10 give up the household doctrines. AZ
ter an opinion has gained possession of the second
generation il is seldom that 1t dies q sudden death;
for it then has the aid Of powerful ally, prejudice.
great many arc persuaded that 1t is their duty to
believe it in memory Of their fathers. Opinions
good or bad are transmitted, like original sin, by
generations. We can sec no sense in prosecutions,
inquisitons, dutOs-dd-fe for the destruction of
opinions, unless 1t be reasonable and laudablc to
70 Systematically to work to destroy q generation
holding any one Objectionable opinion; and then
men not opinions are destroyed. To educate. not
to burn or to torture, Is the proper method of
changing the opinions Of the world if change is
desirable. However, crimes such as men-stcaling
and men-poisoning, (such rs modern dramsellers)
should not be classed with mere opinions, and
civil law should be enforced.
Neither the thought nor the form of thought of
any one generation can be distinct or independent
of the one Immediately preceding. Many Of the
opinions of this generation arc prejudices-good
or bad opinions they may be, but such as our faith
ers taught us; and this generation Is teaching
many things that In turn will be the prejudices Of
the next. Thus time rushes on and the seeds of
knowledge and truth are scattered and sifted along
the pathway of generations. Shall We say that
an opinion is untrue simply because 1t has been
prOpagated from generation to generation, and
held by many, though not all, through prejudicei
Certainly not. We may say that some men are
christians and some are infdels through prejudice
but on that account VIC need not hold that there
is no independence of opinion and no freedom of
thought; for we see the manifestation of both In
the lives of men. Prejudice Is phenomenon, but
not the only one, of thought.
There are local prejudccs as well as general
In all lands there are persons earnest in the decla
ration: "There is no country like ours" In all
religious denominations there are those who de-
clare that there Is no doctrine but theirs that has
even the shadow of truth. But the opinions of
many are not even thus general. With some the
doctrine is right because deacon or elder such-a-
one holds it, or some other minor, local reason is
given. The extent of the world, as 1t appears to
some is as far rs they standing in the CENTER can
sec.
There arc persons whose opinions are made up
of prejudices and there Others of the opposite
extreme. The one moves in beaten track, the
other is ever seeking new. paths The one never
seems to learn anything new, the other seems to
believe nothing that is old. The one calls the 9TH
er fanatic, radical, and in return is called a
fogy. They arc the ones that do the principal
fighting in society. However, we believe that
radicalism is often necessary. There are some
evils that should not be tampered with, and it is
not strange that there should be strong prejudice
AGAINST them. What we condemn, is the practice,
on the one hand, of carrying prejudice both local
and general into the ordinary affairs of life or on
the other hand excluding theretrom, as far as pos
sble, whatever Is old or generally sanctioned by
others. Either extreme very often invades the
rights of Others.
There are different kinds OF prejudice. The
wrong consists in the kind. For instance; you
are firmly convinced Of the truth of the christian
religion you are prejudiced against the men Or
the institution that grossly attacks christianity;
you consider it right to hold this kind OF prelu-
dice--so do 7. Another man says, "a black nan
has no rights that white man is bound to res
pect." If magnanimous legislative body grants
the black man civil rights" it is said veto"
Why? Because he is black. 1t is case OF sim
pic prejudice. 1t has not even the shadow of
moral reason. The man says it is right to hold
this kind of prejudice. l say it is not. The mere
color of man is not proper object of prejudice
when civil rights are involved. To be prejudiced
with reference to the moral quality of christianity
that Is to be inclined to what is essentially good
and to be prejudiccd with reference to the color
of man, arc certainly very different things. The
one has respect to the quality of mems souls orto
character, the other to the quality of their skins.
Men can very easily charge each other with
prejudice, and they will do it, 1t is not necessary
for man in such cases always to plead not guilty
Every man knows, If he is honest with himself
that he cannot in q moment completely inyest-
gate everything presented for his Judgment; and
as matter of course he will be inclined to refer to
his habitual opinions all those matters that find
him unprepared to decide Immediately and posi-
lively. But when man persistently refuses to
listen to reason, when he will not investigate, then
set him down as man too much prejudiced to be
pleasant or strictly sensible. PHIDELTA.