The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-14
A PLEA FOR BETTER THINGS
Address of Hon. Will Cumback Before the
Owen County Agricultural Society.
Sound Thoughts About Reforms and Reform
ers, and Duties the Grown Men of To-day
Owe TO Those Who Will Take Their Places.

fore the Owen County Agricultural Society on
Wednesday, Sept. - Judge Franklin presided.
The text of Dir. Cumbacks address is appended
Mr.. President-I congratulate You, and the
good people OF Owen county, on this opening
county fair In your county. IL is a good thing
every way. Ii Is not only expedient that you
should make this public exhibit OF the resources
OF your rich and fertile county, and the skili
and energy of your people, but this AGRICULTURAL
association should be sustained for many other.
and to my mind, higher reasons. To be exactly
honest about u, do we 60 TO county rair Simply
to see the fine horses. cattle and hogs, the I'M
proved machinery, and the fast trotting and
pacing on the trackl While do not mean In
any sense to depreciate these great attractions,
u incline to tie belief thar there Is higher IN
ducemsrt man this, that I'LL your highways with
dusty travellers Fastening to this central point
What, then, Ia 1t that brings this great mass
Of people to cur county fairs and old settlers
meeiingsf Is il not hungering and thirsting
to meet each otherf The smaller meetings OF
our political party, or the assemblaCe or those
OF our own church faith do not fully meet this
larger want of the social man; he wants TO meet
the whole family-every body. This 10 the invis-
IDLE chord that has brought this great assembly
together to-day, and will bring larger one to-
morrow. We long to meet a platform broad
er than party, and wider than sectariansm.
We use the county fair and other innocent de-
vices that this may be done. Will you allow me
TO depart from the well-beaten track usually
pursued on occasions OF this kind. and for
a few moments consider these loftier
motives that prompted your orgauizationi
To my mind here is the real and substantial
benefit of these fairs. They become mighty
eisvating and c.vilIzing forces. You may read
all history sincs civilization dswned on the
human race and you will find that Just 10 pro-
portion as the social life has oeen cultivated, in
the same ratio civilization has advanced. Look
ing closely at the social gauge of a people. and
the solution of the problem OF the degree OF
progress ttay made is very easily accomplished.
20 fhar OF
with all sorts OF political opinions and religious
beliefs. We all drink at the same delicious
social fountain We go hence with more toiera-
tion and less bigotry We 90 from such great
with better opinion of our
fellow men. We begin 20 learn from this
social contact that there Is something
better in thus life than buying and selling and
and take a more self-sacrihcings spirit. IL
you were to demand OF me that expound the
philosophy of this result-why such happy
effects are thus produced-I would prefer
rather TO have you find the more satisfactory
reply. in your own experience, feeling sure that
in every thoughtful mind what have asserted
would be abundantly confirmed
We hear nowadays a great deal of reforms
from pretentous people, who claim to have q
patent right the most approved method OF
civilization. We boast OF our bread and liberal
schemes for the dissemination of education
a1d religion. They cannot be too broad.
encoursee these great reformatory forces
But | sincerely believe that the measure OF sue
cess of all thesegrand and laudsble agencies will
be determined by the amount Of cultivation We
give 10 our social nature. The intellectual de-
velopment of man will be slow and tedious, and
the spiritual growth will be feeble and fruitless
IL there is not beneath it all a deep fountain Of
human love to refresh and quicken into life.
l think the observation and experience o.
mankind will confirm the statement that any
reform, to be successful. must be planted, not
IN the narrow and shaded garden bed OF parti-
san or seetarian opinion, but IN the sun
light Of the broad open field Of every
day life. Why is the American citizen the
highest type OF real manhood in the civilized
worldl Why is the United States OF America
the grand toreh-bearer, leading the advancing
hests of reform2 Is is not that our numerous
railways and our rapid transit coupled with his
restless energy and activity. bring him year BY
year IN contact with more OF his fellow menf
By being thus taken out of the little rut OF his
own selfish ends aud aims, and placed on the
broad plane Of the worlds activities he acquires
o broader view OF the significance Of human ex-
tstence. In the centuries long past religious
fanatlcism led men to think that the only safety
for their souls was TO fly from society and hive
the life Of . hermit iE caves and cells lin the
desert. But il was an awful failure. They be-
came inhuman that they refused to see the
faces Of their own mothers, spurned from their
presence their own children, and died
ia their filthy dungeons Ike beasts
phere fer each human being. and there was
no common stock. and each share was set OF to
the individual, this world would be q cherries
and unhappy place. But darker still to the man
who shuts out all tie social light about him and
wsnders through the dark may cell oflbis soul.
with the dim-lghted candle of his own selfish
life. The sweet flowers OF love and charity,
with their bright hues and delicious odors, VIII
only grow in the warm sunlight and life giving
air Of mutual confidence and trust, watered
with the refreshing dews Of human sympathy.
IN the soul OF the man devoid of social Impulses,
these flowers will wither. fade and die, and his
barren spirit viii curse him. and be viii soon
come to hate himself Human ingenuity has
never yet invented feon's cell so dark and
with such power 70 punish the occupant, the
man who is voluntary prisoner in the narrow
dungeon or self. Not only 10 he rendered mis-
cradle by his selfshness, but he is untitled for
the discharge of any of the obligations growing
cut of his relations with his fellow-meu By his
isolation he ceases 10 fl ais place a citizen,
and soon has no love for his country. Patriot
ism will only be found In generous hearts.
Waiter Scott wrote:
Breathes there man with soul SO dead
Who never to himself has said
This IS my own, my native landl
Whose heart hath ne'sr within him burned
As home his footsteps be hath turned
From wandering a foreign strandi
If such there breathe, GO mark him well:
For him no minstrel rapture raptures SWELL
High though bis titles, proud his name,
Boundless dis wealth wish could claim;
Despite those titles, power and pelf,
The wretch coneentered all in self.
Living shall forfeit fair renown.
And. doubly dying. shall 60 down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonored and unsung.
The successful reformer therefore -1ust know
bis fslow-men. and love them. To know them
he must come in close contact with them, and
by his fraukness and msnliness obtain their
confidence. If he imagiDes that Re is mounted
high above them on some pet hobby. and sits
railing at them in spirit of intolerance, he will
accomplish nothing He will have to dismount
from his hobby and come down on the same lev
I'll, and meet them on the broad plane Of reason.
While he is trying to teach them. he will acquire
very considerable amount of valuable informa-
tion himself, and az the masses about him begin
70 have better conception OF life he too will be-
come more tolerant aud patient; and while he
Will obtain the correct gauge OF their intellectu-
81 progress and spiritual development by this
Interchange OF opinion, they will, at the Same
time, take the full measure of his sincerity.
They will quickly and accurately discern
whether be Is prompted By purpose
TO benefit them or glorify himself.
While he is taking their measure, they will take
his IL both are satisfied with each other, then
something may be accomplished. All this
knowledge must be acquired In dogmatic
~raDgling, or partisan strife but ia the more
quiet and peaceful field of social life. The rea-
son why the world is filed with intolsrauce and
bigotry, and the car of human progress moves
so slow. is because mankind stand so far apart
as to never know each other. The mountain.
when seen from the distance, repels the behoder
its beetlipc cliffs its cold and harran rocks