Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-07-31
PnRLIc OPINION.

There is shrine before which it is
imperative that all should bow. With
the malignity of fiend sOlicits the
homage of our admiration and our
tears. Above this shrine, throned and
canopied by the musty drapery of ages,
Mrs. Grundy sits With her trident
wave she directs the avenues of thought
aside from which ne man must tread if
he wishes to sustain the decent respect
of the public. The deadly virus of
''policy'' has conrsed through the body
polite, until to-day the heart of charity
and love throbs with sluggish pulse
1t has poisoned the morals of mankinb
until the attainments of our ideal Euto-
pa is destined foreman forever a poetic
dream. Principle is an Outcast and
policy sits enthroned supreme monarch
in the brain of the world Why must
Judges, lawyers and the clergy cling to
blind precedence? Why must they
search the moulay records Of antiquity
and cling with the tenacity of despera-
ton to old delusionsP The answer is
readily apparent. They wish to heap
the responsibilities of their lives onto a
nOnentity that is dead and gone. They
wish The approval of public opinion
which cherishes all these old decisions.
"Vox Populi vox Dei.' 1t were bet
ter to say that the voice of the people is
the voice of a malignant tiend. His,
tory so records it. Public opinion has
in all ages sanctioned the grossest out
RACES. 1t has stained the pages of his
tory with infamies most dire, and sent
to the cheek of mOdesty the pallid blush
of shame. In all ages the brave minor
ity were mostly in the right. This is
the rule. There are exceptions Pub
l1c opinion eruelfed the brave and low
ing Christ for the expression OF honest
thought. Itimprisoned Calico, burned
Bruno, the bravest martyr that ever
died, and placed Luther i'll Jeopardy of
his life. 1t enthroned the murderer
Calvin and burned his brave and honest
opponent at the stake. 1t drove the
Puritans to the Western Wilds, banished
Roger Williams and prosecuted good
old Quakers. 1t burned helpless old
women for the imaginary crime of
witchcraft and for countless ages sanct-
toned and perpetrated the damnable in
stitutiOn of slavery that made a tyrant
master and his fellOw-man his slave. It
has prosecuted Jews and hurled them
upon the charities of q cold and heart
1858 WOI1Os 4AOW IAISn OOUbOL 10 II INV :
Even in this stage of the worlds prog
ress. Charity is in exile. Reason, the
monarch of the brain, is mute. Princi-
pie, the most sacred virtue beneath the
sun, is dormant in the popular mind,
and towards cringe before the bar OF
public opinion, which in many things
deserves the supreme contempt of every
honest man. Charity for opinion, the
sweetest blossom of virtues tree per
fumes but little the common air, when
it should, of right, fill the whole atmos-
phere with divine fragrance. Has not
! the opinion of the minority q right to
the respect of all, if it is honest? Does
not hypocrisy with its poisonous fangs,
deserve contempt instead of respect
After all is not heroism and honesty OF
conviction the bravest and most worthy
of admiration? If so, then le5 us cult
vate the tender plant of charity for all.
Let us respect opinion for its honesty
and give honest thought the public ear.
Let not single coward cringe in the
expression of his honest thoughts AND
every man be free.
w. F. SOLMAN.