The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-04-21
The Man OF One Idea.
Communicated

The Portland Oregonian of the 10th con.
tains short and telling article on the
course pursued by the temperance paper of
this place. The Oregonian's words are so
we'll timed and fitting that they ought to be
reproduced. 1t says:
A so-called temperance paper at Vancou.
YER, written by a so-called preacher, whose
relations with temperance societies have
been unpleasantly interrupted in past times
by his propensity to drink, finds the Oregon
ian not strong enough as temperance advo-
cate to till its requirements; and it has even
gone so far as to intimate once or twice that
the editor of the Oregoniaa must be very
sadly addicted to inebrety. The reverend
brother is just now in one of his ultra tenn
perance moods. How long it will be till he
swings round to the opposite side of the cir
Gle no one can safely guess. Meantime the
Oregonion always practices temperance, es-
chews folly and fanaticism, and is not
obliged to fall into occasional spasms of as
sumed virtue to make amends for unfortu-
nate lapses into vice.
Perhaps the above may be deemed rather
severe on the Rev. gent who edits the paper
alluded to; but the writer is one of those
who think that the Oregonidn went no far
Their than the case demanded. 1t is time
that fanatics of all kinds should be shown
up in their true colors. A man who has
been sowing his wild oats until his pockets
are empty suddenly discovers that he is
tired of drinking and carousing; that such a
course is only productive of a sour stomach
and an aching head; that the community
will respect such only as respect themselves.
A sudden inspiration enters his fuddled brain.
He sees the error Of his ways-having had
his little fun, he resolves that it is not so
very funny after all, that it does not pay
and he makes up his mind to alter his course.
! But he is not at all satisfied with quietly re-
forming his own individual practices; no, not
he. The whole world, drunkards temperate
men and others, must follow him in his re-
form or else he will denounce them in the vilest
and most abusive terms. With the fervor
and bitterness of a new convert, he will call
rascals, gamblers and horse thieves, all those
who do not recognize the New Messiah, and
the fact that new era has dawned upon the
world since the Rev. - has seen the err
rors of his ways!
He has seen the folly of intempcrance and
the abuse of strong drinks, but he is not
willing that others should see the folly of it
too; but all, whether Incorporate or other
wise, must accept his violent denunciations
as the true gospel Such men have never
brought ,about any valuable reform, and
never can. They are fanatics and born ty-
rants 1t is such men who have burnt the
valuable library at Alexandria because the
books were useless if they agreed with the
Koran and dangerous if they did not. 1t is
such who have ravaged the world with fire
and sword to make their own religious be-
lief prevail and who have partially succeeded
because people would rather profess to be-
lieve anything than to be killed. Such men
are always in favor of full liberty for them
selves and opposed to it for others. They
are men with one idea.
But sift the matter to the bottom and you
will find that not only have they never sue
ceeded in bringing about any useful reforms
either practical, social or religious, but that
their true incentive is not so much the adj
vancement, the reform or the enoblement of
the race, as their own individual aggrandize-
ment, influence and power. Such men are
dangerous to the public; they are moral
demagogues; they are born fanatics; they
can see no good in this world; for them the
sun shines not, the rain does not refresh, the
birds have no melody; for them there is no
freshness or smiling beauty in nature, so long
as there is single soul in the world whose
actions are not patterned after their own
stand. point of morality and who do not see
through their particular spectacles. But, on
the other hand, if they were to carry the
world and if they succeeded in reforming
every individual in it matters would be
worse; they would still be unhappy hope
lessly so at last-for their capital in trade
would then be gone. Pity them and pray
for them--hut perhaps they are past praying
for?
Progress includes many broad and liberal
ideas. If the one idea man cannot die. the
world must learn to work ahead in spite of
him.
II you wish to keep clean 60 to Durgn's,
he has the largest assortment Of soap in the