Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-12-30
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.
Why it Should Never be Made the Cause of
 Quarrel.


 Quarrel.
 When you think on the subject, it seems truly remarkable that it has taken the world so long to arrive at the con clusion that there is such thing as honest difference of opinion.
 In early ages-indeed, down to a very recent period-and among all barbarians, there was no such thing as agreeing to disagree" It seems to have been taken as an indisputable fact that if your neighbor did any thing in way which seemed to you absurd or unreasonable, he must have done it to annoy you, and the proper thing to do was to have fight over it. And as the neighbor had the same hearty contempt of your GUS toms, he was nothing 10th to engage in combat.
 The Romans had no words to express their contempt for the Greeks because they curled their hair and indulged in the luxury of baths; although the Ro- mans in turn surpassed the Greeks in these very practices
 The Persians, sunk in superstition, detested the Egyptians for worshiping cats; the Babylonians called the Romans barbarians. and the Jews regarded the outside world as heathens because they did not follow their peculiar rites.
 Coming down to modern times, the English have scoffed at the French for eating frogs, and the French have re- torted that the English are coarse shop keepers.
 The Italians think that the Germans drink too much beer, and the Germans wonder why the Italians eat maccaroni.
 We can not understand why Moham- medans take off their shoes before en- tering place of worship, while they wonder why we think it necessary to uncover our heads. We shake hands with another; Chinamen shake their own hands; we kiss our dear friends, and another nation rub noses; we bury our dead, other people cremate them.
 Who is prepared to say which is right and which is wrong? Is it not possible that all may be right? Travel and ob- servation broaden the mind, and it is noticeable that great travellers are not disposed to condemn practices which do not conform with their early training. Schliemann, among the ruins of Troy, ate with the natives, and found much to commend in their habits. Stanley has | adapted himself to the fare and usuages of the Africans, and does not seem to pine for civilization.
 This is a lesson that the world is slow 1y learning, in great as we'll as small things. Climate and breeding create l different wants, and it is no longer nec- | essary to kill a man, or even be his | enemy because he does not agree with | you in politics, science or religion. It takes some time for some people to rea1- 1 tze this changed state of affairs. Boys will wrangle and give each other the lie over differences of opinion, and girls have been known to VOW mot to speak" (and keep the VOW for years) over tho cut of a gown or a school squabble. | The world is wiser than it was. It has l discovered that much more is gained by suasion than coercion. The Mohamme- dan cry of ''the sword in one hand and the Koran in the other," has been dem- onstrated to be poor rule for mission aries. Kindness and argument have supplanted force and threats.
 If only the young folks could be brought to see that it is possible to differ without disagreeing! We can not all have the same tastes in food or clothing; we can not all have the same features, hair, complexion or carriage: nor can we have the same likes and dislikes. But there is always some one subject on which we can agree, be it ever so trivial. Let us find that subject and agree on that; on otker subjects let us reflect that there is much to be said on both sides and if we can not agree, let us ''agree te disagree. ."-Golden Days.