The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-02-29
Writtan for THE TKIBRNI.
MATTER-OF FACT-ISM.

Ed. TRIBUNE 1t is the fashion ir
our day to call every principle which We
disapprove an IAN. And nothing fright
ems your highly respectable old fogy SC
terribly as to tell him this or that isn,
coming his way. Now, although l d,
not believe in the fairness of this mod
of condemnation, yet, as most of US To-
low the fashion whether we ike it OF
not and sometimes when we utterly scorr
it, will designate what believe to be
the evil of social life as, lNatter-of-tacf
ISM. 1t is the principle which ignores
everything but what bears upon prac.ica
success in life. So that who can no.
make money is reproach among men
1t calls novels silly fit only for girls. Il
sneers at poetry, as absurd. 1t denoun-
ces all literature except what it terms
the practical. Its educational theory is
founded on plausible dogma, such as
this
IF you succeed in life, determine upon
your profession when you are young,
have but Que idea, exert all the energies
of our being in one direction, develop
that portion of your mind which bears
upon the path you have chosen and let
the others 90.
And SO when child has shown, per-
chance, a marvellous Quickness in discov.
ering that two and two make four, his
wise Instructor imaglnes he has discover
cd the prominent talent and straight
way, while his mind is buoyant and beau
siful, yet undeveloped, his mathematical
education commences, and if the child
grows weary of Arithmetic and loves to
linger among the Arabian Nights or over
the trials of Crus oe, or perhaps his mind
al times wanders away into the enchant-
ed world of Art-"Figures! my child
figures, pictures and books will never
make practical man.
And so his one idea of numerical cal
culation is developed alone. This process
produces what is called, your successful
merchants, farmers and your successful
lawyers. Successful! Yes, but when
success has teen accomplished, what re-
mains. This one faculty has accomplish
ed its purpose, where are the others
Withered and wasted by exhaustion and
darkness. In vain for such one is
all the eloquence ofnature, art and poe
try. Tie is practical man and nothing
else. This is the system which produces
your men of one idea, your narrow mind
ed men, grasping misers, whose only God
is gold. and this is all MaHer-ot-
tact-isna
There are various kinds of isnas, for
instance, Sentimentalisn,. Were you
ever told of fine ladies who hurried the
making of their dresses, but who, while
they sipred their lemonad, lamented
the miseries Of seamtresses? That was
Sentimentalism. Haye you ever known
women who wept over the penitential
sorrows of the fictitious Mrs GRAVITY
on the stage, but who had only "foul
snorn' for those of the actual Mrs.
GRAVITY in society? That weeping was
Sentimentalisn,. Have you ever heard
the rich hoarder, who pever put dollar
in the poor box say, "God help the
poor?' That was Sentimentaisn. When
the companion of your youth, or the as
sociate Of your deepest thoughts, or most
secret plans, with whom you have shared
friendship, refuses you the loan of half a
dollar, that friendship was surely moth
ing but Sentimentalasn,. We are told
Satan can clothe himself as an angel of
light, and SO vice by Sentimentalsm. The
Scntimentalist is to ethics, what the
hypocrite Is to piety-a striver after
falsehood; the one strives to feel lie,
the other to believe it, The lie may be
at last believed and felt, but from the
beginning, both sentimentalist and
hypocrite deceive themselves more than
they deceive others.
Some go to church because they have
something new to wear, and as a Matter
-o6Jfact, they should show it, and some
go because it is the fashion, that I think
must be the iSna.-''But one might as
we'll be out of the world, as out of fash
ion, | suppose so it is all Natter
of-tactism.
Yours Truly,
FLORA