The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-06-14
The Ex-President aeeorded Hearty Re
ceptIon by His Old students and
friends at the Close Thereof

pleasing manner, after which President
Taylor introduced the speaker. remark
ing that anything he might say there IN
regard To the character and ability
of his distinguished predecessor,
would be gratultOus, inasmuch
as all, or very nearly all, present were as
we'll or better acquainted with him than
he was, and said: Il take pleasure in
Introducing to you Prof. r. B. WEIGH,
of Topeka, who will address you on
The Nature, Use and Abuse of Author
ity,'" whereupon the former president
arose to his feet amid heartiest applause.
He began his address in very felici-
tous manner, remarking that when he
was boy, and went away from home
and staid longer than was proper, ex.
plantations were always in order On his
return, and he did not know but
that some explanation might be neces-
sary tor staying away from this, his old
home, SO long, and be appreciated very
heartily the kind reception given him
by his former co-workers and students.
He then began the delivery of very
eloquent and mastery address on the
subject: THE Nature, Use and Abuse
of Authority" He said nc had chosen
this subject, not so much on account of
what he knew about 1t, as on accOun: of
what he did not, but wished - know.
Webster gives five definitions of the term
authority, but the nature of author
ity is very meagrely defined by
either of these definitions. By
modifying the first of these defni-
-tions We may construct one which COM
prehends, think, the gist Of them all
We may define authority as the right to
rule, govern or control, and this is true
as applied either to literary, scientific or
municipal affairs. But we must under
stand the term right" and the limita-
tons of the terms control" and 'goV-
ern" in order to make progress in the
discovery of the nature of authority.
Used thus, the Term fright" includes,
fitness, worthiness or qualification. Then
authority consists in fitness or wOr-
thIness to govern. When we examine
the conditions under which authority
is exercised we perceive that wOrthiness,
fitness or qualification is the fundamen-
tai basis of it. In the relationship of
weakness and ignorance and the product
of second causes; in other words we
find necessity for protection, guild
ance and control; in the parent We find
relative strength, wisdom and pru-
denee and second causes. From this,
then, we see need, and by virtue of the
relationship of cause and effect there exE
lists an Obligation upon the parents to
supply these necessities rather than the
necessities of other children equally in
need of protection, education and con-
troll. Then, out of the relationship, me-
cessity ON one side and fitness and
worihiness on the other, grows the al
thority of the parent, existing without
regard to what the municipal law may
say of it. Law does not create relations
and duties. but defines and enforces the
reciprocal duties and rights CROWN g
out of them. The conditions would be
different were the parents idiots, and the
relationship of superior intelligence and
prudence to ignorance and weakness did
not exist. The parents then would have
no authority, and different relationship.
and obligations would exist and be
binding between she body polite and
| both parents and children
and this principle holds gOo(
in reference to the teacher. The teaches
does not hold his position by virtue o
the contract he holds with the board
simply, but because of his fitness to sus
tain the relation OF tutor. We not in
frequently see in the case of teachers
that the difference to be cancelled is Oh
the wrong side, and now and then chill
dren with better judgments than thel
parents. More frequently it occurs
though, that the youth thinks the differ
ence between himself and his paI
ents and teacher is cancelled Ion
before it /. il. The law whic
presumes the difference betwee
parent aud child sufficiently cancelled
in the case of the male at 81, and the f
male at Is. is wholly arbitrary. as som
boys are better capable of governing
themselves at ~ than others at %. TIL
truth is, some meyer learn the art.
To kIl0o, said the speaker, passing
another phase Of the subject, is one of th
principal functions of the mind, and a
sert what all psychOlogistswill admit thu
knowledge Is the product of experienc
t and cannot exist beyond it. Whatev'
we have experienced concerning ii
: subjective and objective world we kssOl
> Here he cited the opinion of a numb'
of eminent scholars on the warrior
j phases of knowledge, its INCEPTION, il
fuence and final results, which woul
$ be interesting TO recount did space pc
{ nit.
; The old philosophers, he continue
: erred in two particulars. The first W
It in their conception that for man, wi
o his capabilities, an absolute criterion
5 truth is possible, and second, they ga
too much importance to the research
an individual man. In his matured p
Rod they regarded him as isolated, j
dependent and complete in hii
is self, instead of considering hi
y in ms entirety and q member
s society, They forget that DAY of
4. mans life exhibits but small fracti
a Of what has beginnIng and cont
r. nous growth.
ie In relation TO the criterion of truth {
C speaker said: While under no circu
u stances is an absolute criterion of tru
Y possible, we believe that the grand p,
l. sibillty of near approximation is p
ne sible and that it may ultimately be
n tanned and upon this principle; The pr
Q, ability Of the truth OF any proposIti
VI is increased with the number of min
ne consentiDg thereto. He emphasiz
n this proposition by 3 repetition. a
said: How strong is our persussi
that we are right when public opini
ne is in our favor, and how if We are
=. doubt about any question of law, me
clne oi Whal Aots OshA DSiteA - ebLons
an ened by every additional consent
ne mind. principle as broad as humani
ga The highest human criterion OF trutl
ses one which receives the universal c
M sent of man.
re- The utility of authority depel
much upon how we use t. II We
eept authority as the ultimate decls
ton Of eternal truth without inat
ne into the premises of the author. its
s ne Huence is to spread our mental 81
Ies. rather than 10 increase their num-
ped We take on q greater load without be
an made stronger 10 bear it Students
~ ~ often fall into the error of putting
much faith in their text books ana y