Fergus County argus., 1890-03-20
THE IMPROVED MAN.
Attributes Conceived by Colonel Ingersoll
Leader Of the Agnostics.

|, for himself. lie will neither bow no
} cringe, nor accept bowing and cringin
; from others. lie will he neither maste
. nor slave, neither prince nor peasan
simply man.
> lie will he the enemy of all caste. n,
, matter whether its foundation b
wealth, title or power, and OF him i
will he said: "l,lesSed is that man VIII,
Is afraid OF no man and OF whom n,
man is afraid
The Improved Man will be in favo
OF universal education. lie will beliey
IL TO be the duty of every person (,
shed all the light he can, to the en-,
that no child may be reared in dark
ness. by education he will mean TIN
gaining Of useful knowledge, the slevel
opment OF the mind along the natura
paths that lead to human happiness
lie VIII not waste his time in ascer
tanning the foolish theories of extinct
peoples nor in studying the dead Ian
guages for the sake of underst andin,
the theologies of ignorance and fear
but he will turn his attention to tn,
affairs OF life, and will do his utmos,
|
opportunity to learn the demon
strated facts OF science. the true his
tory Of the world, the great PRINCIPLES
OF iiaht and wrong applicable to hu
man conduct-the things necessary to
the preservation OF he individual and
OF the State, and such arts and indus.
tries a- are essential to the preserva-
tion OF all.
Hewill also endeavor to develop the
mind in the direction OF the beauti j.
iul-Of the highest art-so that the
place in which the mind dwells may be
enriched and rendered beaut ful, to
the end that these stones. called facts,
may he changed into statues
The Improved Man will believe only
in the religion of this world. He viii
have nothing to do with the mracu-
lous and supernatural. lie will find
that there - no room IN the universe
Tor these things. lie will know that
happiness is the only good, and that
everything that tends to the happi-
ness OF sentient beings is good. and
that to do the things-and no either
that aao 10 the happiness Oi man, is
10 pract Ice the highest possible religion
His motto VIII be: Sufficient unto
each world is the evil thereof" lie
VIII know that each man should he
his own priest, ana that the brain il
the real cal alhedra!. lIewill know that
IN the realm OF mind there is no au-
thority-that majorities in his mental
world can settle nothing-that each
soul Is he sovereign OF its own world.
and that 1t cannot abdicate without
degrading it self. lie will not bow to
numbers or force, neither To antiu,,ity
nor custom, lie, standing under the
ilag oi nature, under the blue and
stars-wlll decide for himself. lie will
not endeavor 10y prayers and suppl
cations, 10y hastings and gentillections,
to change the mind OF the "Infinite"
or alter the course of nature, neither
will he employ Others to do these
things IN his place. He will have no
confidence IN the religion of idlene,s
and Will give no part of what he earns
TO support parson or priest, arch
bishop or pope. lie will know that
honest Labor Is the highest form OF
prayer. llewill spend no time in ring
ing bells or swinging censors, or in
chanting the litanles OF barbarism
but he will appreciate all that is
artistic that IL beautiful that tends
to refine and ennoble he human race.
lie will not live life of fear. lie will
stand in awe neither OF man nor
ghosts. He will enjoy not only the
sunshine of life, kIlt will bear with
fortltude the darkest days. He will
have no fear OF death. About the
grave there will bc no terrors, aud hi,.
life will end as serenely as the sun
rises.
The Improved Man will be satisfied
that the supernatural does not exist
that behind every fact every thought
ami dream Is an efficient cause. lie
VIII know that every human act ION j.
"A necessary product and he will also
know that men cannot he reformed
by punishment, by DEGRADATION or by
revenge. lie will regard those who
violate the laws of nature and the
laws OF States as victims of cond-
tions, OF circumstances, and he will
do what he can for the well being ol
his fellow men.
The Improved Man will not give his
lie to the accumulation of wealth.
lie will find no happiness in exciting
the envy of his neighbors. lie willn
care to i've IN n palace. while others
who are good, industrious and kind
are compelled to huddle in huts and
dens. lie Will know that great wealth
Is IA great burden, and that to acc,imu-
late beyond the actual needs OF II rea-
sonable human being is to increase not |
wealth, but responsibility and trouble. |
The Improved Man will find his great
est Joy IN the happiness OF ot hers, and |
he Will know that the home is the real |
temple. He will believe in the democ |
racy OF the iireslde, and will reap his !
greatest reward in being loved by those /
whose lives he has enriched. He will |
not only repeat. but he will believe,
the lines of Robert Burns:
"If happiness have not her seat
And centre ia the breast
We may he wise. or rich. or great,
But never can l,e blcst.'
The Improved Man will he elf-poised.
independent, candid and free. lie will |
he a scientist. lie will observe, inves-
tigaie. experiment, and demonstrate.
lie VIII Use hls sense and senses. lie |
will keep his mind open as he day to
the hints and suggest ions OF nature.
lie will always be n student, n learner
md "A list ner-a believer in int electual |
hospitality. Ia the world of his brain
there will lie II continuous summer,
perpetual seed-time and harvest
Facts will he the foundation of hIs |
anh. In one hand he will carry tn,
orch of truth, and with the other
raise the fallen.
ROBERT q. INGERSoLL.