The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-06-02

4.H1 COMMON BROTHERHOOD OF NAN.
EDITOR ADVANCE: A dissertation
on this subject from tho zen Of a mas
ter, would, on account Of its intimate
connection with the happiness and we'll
being of the people, as individuals as
well as members of society, be we'll wor-
thy the space it would occupy in your
columns; but whether it will be of suf-
ficient interest treated by one who rec
ognlzes, as others certainly will, his in
ability to do it justice, you must deter
mine.
The thesis is far too broad an one to
admit of even the most superficial con-
sideration in the limited space that
you would feel justified in devoting to
it in one issue, so that if the article is
accepted, it would probably run through
three, possibly four numbers.
After the Creator had raised up man
out of the dust of the earth, breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life and
placed him in the Garden of Eden, he
saw that it was not good for man to be
alone, and therefore created for him a
help-meet. AS Adam was 80 far eleva.
ted above the rest of Creation by the
faculty of reason and the power of
speech that no living creature could un-
derstand him, and as lie was as far be-
low the angels as above the birds and
beasts, we doubt not that had he been
given choice between Il life in that
vast solitude, and a companion with q
curse, he would have chosen the latter;
for there is All instinct in mans nature
co-existent with life itself, which causes
a man to shun solitude and seek the
society of his fellows:
If to be transformed from the dark
ness of ignorance into the light of be-
ing as gods, knowing good from evil is
to fall,
MAN FELL;
And to that fall the people of Worth
ington, as we'll rs the more ''godly" of
other parts of the earth, including Cain
and Abel, owe their existence.
With the knowledge that came by
means of the fall(?) mans wants were
multiplied and we soon find the child
rem OF our first parents engaged in pur-
suits calculated to supply their CON-
mon wants.
OTHER families sprung into existance
like blades of grass in the spring time
and from the common parent tree,
came the countless millions of human
beings that now inhabit the earth. A
universal brotherhood, bound together
by the ties of blood, by natural instinct,
by community Of interest and by mu-
tual dependence.
AS the world increased in population
the wants of men grew apace. To sup
ply these wants individuals engaged in
a variety of pursuits, exchanging the
products of their labor for those of
their neighbors, and thus was primitive
commerce established between primor-
dial man. But the people of those early
days Of the worlds history, as have
been those of every succeeding age,
were bound together by still stronger
tie, that of mutual protection from a
common enemy.
While the dependence of man upon
his fellow man, is not, perhaps. as di-
rect in our day rs III those of the patri-
archs it is equally as strong. Let a
man attempt to cultivate farm or en-.
gage in any other branch of business,
using for that purpose only the prod
ucts of his own labor, and he will soon
realize that he is dependent upon the
machinist. the blacksmith, the tinsmith,
and carpenter, and those of a thousand
other trades and callings; let his rights
be violated and he will find that he is de.
pendent upon society, which is but a
combination of individuals, for re-
dress.
Now, with every right or privilege
that man enjoys is corresponding du-
ty or obligations; hence every man owes
to society and every member thereof
his best endeavors for the common
good. It might not be interesting to
consider our various duties to society,
but we will confine our present inquiry
to
MANS DUTY TO NAN.
For the purpose of perspicuity We
will divide these duties into; Passion,
or those that require US to abstain from
doing any one an injury; and Action,
or those that require us to do every one
the greatest possible amount of good.
Among the possible duties that men
owe to each other let us mention first
the ceding to every individual the right
to
HIS OWN OPINION
upon all questions, whether moral, pO.
litical, social, religious, scientific OF
otherwise. Free thought is one of the
irestimable blessings secured to us by
the blood of our forefathers, and next to
personal liberty is our dearest birth
right. He therefore, who either direct.
1y or indirectly interferes with full
and free exercise af that right, deprives
man of a divine prerogative, and be-
comes himself 4 bigot. There is prob
ably no evil so common among the
people generally as this species of big
otry. In many communities to hold
different views from some sect or socie
ty means social ostracism. For man
to allow a difference of opinion to in
anv way influence his treatment of /:
brother shows mean, narrow minded
contemplate spirit, antagonistic tc
progress and inimical to the best inter
ests of suciety. AS you value the right
to your own opinion, you should accord
| it to others.
Let us now consider the duty of Civ
inr to the acts and 1,0vnoUo IF ut hore