Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-05-28
Random Thoughts.

There is a certain kindsof polish that
indicates weakness, just as a certain kind
of iustre indicates decay. Luxury and
refinement are not healthful signs in a
nation. Increase of luxury in ancient
times meant decrease in virtue and
strength, its significance is the same at
this day. The vice chasm between the
very rich and the very poor is bad indi-
cation-the falling to pieces and separa-
ton of society into its parts as the body
falls to pieces at death.
State intervention instead of being a
healthy upbuilding of new fabric may
be only the proping up Of the old where
its natural supports have decayed in order
that Its final dowfall may be delayed.
Turning to the schoolroom we find all
the good and evil of cur social system
modern society is get money-honestly if
possible, but by all means get money,
and thou shalt have honor in the land.
All the energies of modern times are
strained toward the one thing-money
getting. A man may have lived noble
life, may have acquired knowledge, tri-
umphantly fought down the devil in him,
been just in his dealings, kind and help
ful neighbor, punctual in his duties as
citizen, yet if he has not succeeded in the
business of getting wealth, society casts
him aside as failure and his good quail
ties count for nothing. Failing in this he
has failed in all. Had he lacked in
everything else and succeeded in this So
ciety would have said, ''Well done good
and flithfnl servant" The young pastor
as he rides his remote country circuit
dreams of the day when he shall occupy
a pulpit in some great city and have
charge of a wealthy flock at fat salary.
How many would commence the business
OF preaching without some such dream?
Money, or rather the ease and luxury
that it represents, is at the end OF every
avenue at this day. The boy learns in
the schOolroom what he has learned at
home and upon the street, all his teach
ing is to this end that the important
thing is to get rich. He reads OF the boy
who broke the window of the rich mer-
chant and honestly paid for it, and, by so
doing, became his partner, of the boy
who refused to steal the lady's watch and
in the majority of cases is that honesty is
the best policy, that is by being honest he
is more certain of getting taste of the
Of the gods. But as he rushes
out into the strt am of life he is dazed by
the discovery that the facts are against
his philosophy, that the dishonest man
is quite as successful in the business of
money getting and honor getting as his
more honest neighbor. On the contrary,
very often finds the latter going to the
wall on account of that very honesty.
In the stearn battle of life all his cob-web
goes to pieces and is brushed
aside and he seeks to make his way
among men as he can, wheedling, over
brow-beating, lying, cheating.
as the exegency of his case may seem to
require The morality of the schoolroom
very often is this cob-web morality. How
many teachers ever try to understand
their pupils, ever try to look out upon |
world through their eyes, ever stoop to |
the level of their pupils in order to lift |
them up to their own! How many ever |
succeed in impressing upon the minds of
their pupils that there is such a thing as |
right which to cleave to brings moral
health? That Bunyan, in his prison, |
was happier and better than the butter |
flies of the court? Very few, for what |
ever they may say with their lips in their
hearts they don't believe it, or, what is
the same thing. don't realize it. A man
impart what ne has not. True /
comes from the heart, permeates |
and pervades every fiber of it. Sham |