Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-23
SUNDAY READING.

tIcle under the head OF Topics OF the
Time entitled Cheap Opinions. :"
which We think about as good Sunday
reading as we can possibly offer:
There is probably nothing that SO OBJ
stinately stands in the way Of all sorts o:
progress As pride of opinion. while there
is nothing s. foolish and bsseless as that
same pride Ii men will look up the
history of their opinions, learn where
they came from. Why they were adopted.
aud why they are maintained and de-
Tended, they will find, nine times in ten,
that their opinions are not theirs at all
tina: they have no property in them. save
as gifts Of parents. education ard cir
cImstances In short, they will learn
that they Gi; ..ct form their own opin-
Ions, that they were formed for them.
and in them. by series Of influences.
uamoGIfial Er their OWE reason and
knowledge ! young man grows up to
aduls age in Republican or Democratic
family. and he becomes Republican OF
Democrat in accordance with the ruling
Influences OF the househouid. Ninety
nine times in hundred the rule holds
good. Like father, like son. Children
are reared in the Catholic Church, in the
Episcopal. L nirarian, Presbyterian. Zap
fist. Methodist Church, and they stand
by the church III whose faith and forms
they were bred. They become partisans.
wranglers, defenders on behalf OF opin-
Ions, every one Of which they adopted
without reason or choice. Touch them
at any point. aud they btistle with re-
sistance, often with ofense; yet they
borrowed every opinion they hold. II
they had all been changed about in their
cradles, we should have the same num-
Der of partissns. only our present Re
publican would be Democrat, our Ro-
man Catholic would be our Methodist.
and SO on through all the possibilities OF
transformation.
When We find, coming squarely down
upon the facts, what cheap stuff both
our orthodoxy and our heterodoxy are
made of; when we see how little they are
the proper objects of personal and Sec
tartan pride; when We apprehend how
little they have to do with character, and
how much they have to do with dissen-
sion and all uncharitableness; how child
ish they make US, how sensitive to fault
finding and criticism; how they narrow
and dwarf Us, how they pervert us from
the grander and more vital issues, We
NAV we'll he ashamed of ourselves, and
irampls our pride Of opinion in the dust.
We shall find, too, in this abandonment
OF our pride, basis Of universal charity.
cheap, and not the best, but broad enough
for pinched feet and thin bodies to stand
upon. II We inherit our opinions from
parents ndgusrdians and circumstances.
and recognize the fact that the great
world around US get their opinions in
the same way, We shall naturally be
more able to see the life that underlies
opinion everywhere. and to find our
selves in sympathy with it.
With the dropping of our pride Of
opinion-wLieh never had a respectable
basis to stand upon our respect for
those who are honestly trying to form
an opinion for themselves should be
greatly increased. There are men who
are honestly trying TO form an opinion
of their own. They are engaged in q
grand work. There are but few of Us
who are able to cut loose from our be-
longings. Alas, there are but few of US
who are large enough to apprehend the
fact that the opinions OF these men are |
only worthy Of respect, as opinions. We
can look back and respect the opinions !
of our fathers and grandfathers, formed |
under the ligh. and among the circUm-
stances of their time, but the authors Of |
the coming opinions We regard with dis |
trust and a degree Of uncharitabienss
most heartily to be deplored. We are
pretty small men and women, any %ay.
What is true CT New York and for
readers everywhere, is partic-
ularly true on this coast. We have very
little religious opinion, bnt what religion
We have is old opinion. Independent
of doc:rinal opinion. which by the way
is largely humbus. and which don't
bother Us much, our people have an
opinion that DR.. A. or Rev. Mr.. 3. is
fair preacher, or that ''St. Barrabas" or
he First Vegetarian" is tie place to go.
md they 60 and listen and come away.
and that is the end Of it. Opinion is .
'ery good thing in its way. but it is .
5ery thin thing. Opinion stops with it.
'eIf, belongs to man without helping
i'm any, makes him bull headed and
,igoted. The kind Of religion which
he free hearted. live people vino breathe
be mir of our mountains and swallow
he sand of our valleys want. is one
'hich will help them to be better. With
he faith in il which will develop into
God works and advancement and socia.
iii:y, and which will send mock piety :