The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-07-24
THE MARX OF INTERROGATION.
P. @. u. IN HEARTH AND HOME.

ProPofblohSu, ana regarded 1t carefully O)
It is certainly we'll chosen and eugges-
tive symbol The graceful curve stretching
out and up as If grasping after the infnity OF
the heavens above, the vigorous dash down.
ward representing inquiry and Investigation
into all things beneath the heavens, and the
terminal point which symbolizes the necessi
ty Of having an established foundation, a
fixed standard for departure and comparison
before any investigation, inquiry OF dealizing
Is possible. salss
What part has this SIMPLE sign played
In the history of man, everywhere ana at
all times making itself the symbol of the de-
velopment of his thought, the rebellion
against all restrictions that should hound or
repress hio free inquiry-the growth of his
nature
We may classify men as divided into two
classes. The motto of the one is, "Tbis Is !"
that OF the other. ut is ?"
The first man who earned Immortality by
utterlng the last simple formula, was I'M
doubtedlv aComan IL his bachelor days
Ad m walked serenely through his garden,
making statements and expressing opinions
that being upcontradIcted he doubted not
were truths ind principles He said, This is
cow" Here is an elephant" That cloud
is very much like whale" And / am GER
tainly the wisest of the jewellers in the gar
den," and there being no one to gainsay
him, the repose of the garden was not dis.
TURNED by any useless polemics or absurd
differences of opinion on these points, and
the COW ard elephant, the semblance of q
whale, ana the superior wisdom remained
unquestioncd. In an evil hour he said CT am
Alone" the last unquestioned statement be
ever made, for it brought into being Eve,
the first personifleatiou OF The mark of inter
rogdtion.
An ambitious book has lately appeared en-
titled, MAN, Whence Where Whittier ~
Three nice easy questions TO answer IN The
compass OF four hundred pages. To make
his title complete, the au hor should have
added "What ?'
It is with a question like this that we
commence our sentiment lives. The infant
interrogates with its eyes, ears, and hands
the world into which 1t has come Nothing
is ia ken for granted. all mus: be tested The
mothers cheek looks soft, and the little fn-
ger goes out to feel the softness the gas-jet
sparkels with brightness, an6 the wee bands
extend themselves ITO grasp the brightness J;
the moon smiles lovingly through the win
dow, and the tiny arms would fain embrace
The moonbeams. The child reaches out into
the universe about it like young polyps in
the wide ocean, inquiring, graspng and APP
preaching in all directions, and presenting 1t
self as a sweet incarnation of Interrogation
AZ life advances, questions multiply, and
we safely assert that the progress of the
man is in proportion to his energetic use Of
his feelers, to his respect for the mark of in.
terTogation.
A he leaves the school-room and common
ces his Independent work, he is met at once
by the inquiry, what is he =? What is he
fit for - and sad indeed may be his lot if
his career is determined by the accidents g:
his surroundings, or the guess of the bump
ologist
His work determined, a new and pressing
question presses itself upon him-the choice
Of fellow worker. And in this direction. |
how many fruitless attempts may be made
how many vain questionings of himself and
Of Others he gone through with how much
force expended. before he arrives at the hap
DV contamination described by the novelist
''Sopbronisby," said Alphonso, ''Wilt thou?''
and she-7oilted.
His destiny in this direction assured, there
comes to him what should be the great cues
tion Of his lie, "Wbat does he believe %,
and that should require all his life for its
answer
But in this quest, too we can suppose that
he follows the meaning OF his symbol first as
surfing himself Of certain thing that are MAX
Ing tor hmself firm foothold of things pro-
gen, ne springs upward and outward eraspinz
ike larger child at the source Of all tho
sunshine and the atmosphere that surround
him.
There have been times In the history al
mankind when the weight of The tbinos
which IRE has attempted to crush down the
spirit OF Inquiry after the things which aoight
be, has striven to repress the upward.spring-
ing cure within the narrow confines of tho
fixed point, l.
Men have imagined they h Id answered al,
questions and established all principles
They have announced their revelation. and
said to their fellows, "This far shall We
come. This is the truth. He that questions
1t is sinner and a lost one What 2Oas be-
fore us needed revision, reformation. and de-
velopment but what aoe have founded is for
all generations" Vain attempt useless ex-
penditure of force The genius will not
oack into his bottle twenty Solomons may