Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-09

- q .iSAty llttTcstlnV stuuy, SIlltty
methodicsl IDEA of social forces being
yet in its infancy. Yet with the aid of
statistics we are enabled to measure the
social forces. The Imagination was treats
ed as one of the principal of these which
| influences mankind. He spoke of the
imagination of the poet and the artist as
affording beautiful illustrations. and of
the maniac and fever patient as terrible
and forbidding. Our own Imagination
ofttimes terrorizes and tortures u.s. A
person without imagination fol>
lows the usual course laid
down by precedent, while on
Imaginative person leaves the regular and
probable and adopts the irregular and ex~
traordinary. The family is the chief
social structure when love is the princi-
pal force. He touched upon the vast
differences in the ideals of love and i'm.
agination, which are harmonized by self.
control and good judgment.
The Imagination is a general function
OF the human soul. By it we are made
to produce at will recollections of the
past. Imagination creates love Of home
and country. 1t peoples the home with
beautiful beings, and when in distant
lands it pictures the home as a sacred
place. The influences of the mental dis
position on the social being was Analysed.
Custom was described as the lubricator
which decreases friction between men
and prevents men from overstepping the
usual bounds Of society. The imagination
influences tie social forces only in so far
as we are able to measure them Indirectly.
The difficulty is to isolate the social
forces. Self-control and force of charac-
ter were spoken of as contributing to the
formation of social forces. Imagination
assists in lessening the faults and form
ing desirable qualities SO of love; the
harmonious ideal OF youth is gained in
the happiness Of the family. The family
and abode Of man is potent in social
forces. The natural surroundings of man
| AZ AAA A-SE AZ PISSSAOHS Which, Sluh luiO
the treasury of the soul. Remembrance,
which is closely allied to Imagination, is
the root OF love, which is one OF the most
| potent factors in our social life. He
touched on the effect of social
whims and spoke at length of the force
, of public opinion which calls the
| aopVspd ri,iltr 80
prosecutes withou. mercy and pardons
with laugh. In this connection Mr..
Raab spoke of the influence of the press
which should always endeavor TO restrain
the Imagination and act conscientiously
and unprecedented.
The spirit of the times was c!assed as
another powerful social force, working
revelation and REVOLUTION. all prompted
by the Imagination of the masses.
Another social force is the nationality of
the individual. An indirect connection
exists between the nationality and the
imagination. The formation of political
parties was suggested ss social force
and the differe nee between practical and
ideal political parties shown. The effect of
mans calling or profession was shownss a
potent social force. affecting his prop
erty and income
Education is q social force, but imag.
ination does not figure largely here as
many Of our learned men lack the mag,
NATIVE quality. He alluded to the rela-
ton of the Imagination to scientific re-
search, religion and art and said these
effects would be left TO the considerati on
of his hearers.