The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-02
Some Words to Young Men.

There can hardly be more impor-
tant question for a young man to con-
slider than what he shall do with HIM
self these long winter nights. A few
general reflections will suggest the basis
for reply to the question. The differ
ence between man and the brute is that
man has ideas. These ideas are not in
tuitive; theymust be sought for, evolved
from their surroundings, and appro-
priated after much labor. The man
who succeeds in obtaining the most of
them and having them always ready for
use will be the stronger man. His light
will be the BRIG liter and more powerful,
and cast its rays farther than the dull
light of the ignorant. He will know
more, and, knowing more, will be SUI
perior to his fellows. We talk of demo-
cratic equality in this country as if it were
universal in its application. There is
an equality of avOirdupois, of animal
force, and of political right which puts
the uniformed man and the philos
einiEs, n"U ~, sl-sllet-bo as two equal
quality which makes ricn lgnofanU
fool the inferior of an intelligent poor
man. Intelligence always dominates,
and enables a man to overcome the OBJ
stacles which nature and ignorance
place in his way. Ignorance is the
parent of superstition, and the parent
and child are, and have always been,
the two supreme weaknesses of the
world, and the despair of the progress
of civilization, religion and order. The
ignorant man is always superstitious
man, and these two characteristics al
ways combine to render their poSsessor
a prey to the demagogue, the deceiver
and the seducer. They lower his power
of self-preservation and self-support.
Not knowing enough to utilize the forces
of nature and knowledge, he has to
labor more with brute power, and, in
this hard, servile work, he is weighed
down beyond the hope of elevation or
improvement. The man of ideas, on
the other hand, lightens his labor by his
knowledge, performs his work in less
time, and earns more.
These general reflections ought to
suggest an answer to the question we
have asked: How shall young men, be-
tween the ages of sixteen and thirty
the period of time in which a mans
whole life is shaped for good or bad,
for success or failure-best spend these
long winter nights? Clearly in the &C
emulation of ideas and increase of
knowledge, so as to render themselves
superior and to lay the foundations of
life strong enough to insure their own
happiness and to make the largest pos
sible number of their fellows happy
These ideas must be accumulated by
study, and collective study is better
than individual. The interchange of
ideas, thoughts and information enables
one to develop faster, by division of
labor, than he can ever hope to do toll
ing alone. To accomplish this there is
no better way than for the young men
of each neighborhood to organize them
selves into associations in the form of
lyceums, debating clubs, or literary
clubs, with about fifty members as the |
maXimum-tWenty-tiv would be still |
better. Let them then choose moder- |
ator and other officers, and select q
place of meeting, either at each others
rooms or at some small hall, such as
may be had in almost every neighbor-
hood very cheaply. No better occupa-
ion could be found for such an associa-
ion than the study and discussion of |
subjects growing out of our own history
md that of foreign countries, also
If various topics in science, politi-
al economy, and even the various
orms of mechanical and commercial
industry. If any member has made a
special study of a topic, lethim prepare
I paper upon it and read it, and then
ct it be made the subject of the even
ng's discussion. Discussions of this
Kind will necessitate the hunting up of
in our libraries and the dill
gent reading of books. In this way an
amount of information will be
gathered by so many students pursuing
heir Investigations in different direc-
ions, and the discussion will tend to fix
acts and ideas in the memory for future
Use. Franklin, in his autobiography,
,ives charming picture of club of
his sort with which he identified him
elf in Philadelphia, and he bears elo-
luent tribute to the great service it was
o him in his after years. In club of
his kind books may also be read and
heir contents discussed from evening