The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-02-09

Our present theme is closely
interlaced with the doctrine OF
pessimism, not in the sense
of infusion OIL of dependent re-
lationship, but rather that of inter
action. Good modifes evil, and evil
too often detracts from, and discolors
good.
Optimism is the doctrine of the good,
the better and the best. Its central
position is, that the trend of the
natural order of things is toward a
higher and a nobler plane Of life. AS
habit of mind it is the habit of look
ing at the brightest side of things. To
the question, ''Is life worth liying2"
the optimlst emphaticallY afirms that
it is; for life he knows to be at once
the highest expression of the actual
and the greatest unfolding of potential
good, which the human mind can con-
ceive of.
Historically, optimism may be said
to be the child of hope, born in the
throbbing anticipations of the human
soul, and therefore born with an in
nate and indestructible tendency to-
ward perfection. 1t is a universal
characteristic Of life to struggle toward
the highest type. This is just as true IN
the growth of the meadow daisy, as in
the personal evolution of Washing
+O, 1r,bo Ultima tolx, o4op1e oc tba x-ar.1,
crown Of a perfect manhood, a royal
type of the race that gave him his preg-
naut beginnings for such a splendidlY
successful career.
Optimism has been and still remains
the salt of earth. 1t is written across
the heavens and blooms in all the fruits
and flowers Of the earth; and yet it
must be admitted that the shadow of
pessimlsm is seldom absent from the
brighter presence of the good. No one
can close his eyes to the statistics of
disease, of crime and of pauperism.
But as bad as the world may be today,
we venture to affirm that 1t is COM
paratively very great deal better
than it ever was in It's past history.
Whether the $50 called world food be
partial myth or an entire fact, it tells
the story of universal corruption and
elf ruin. Had there then been daily
''ress to chronicle the daily life of
human society, it would have more
than taxed to the very greatest capa-
cities Of American journalism to have
narrated the frIghtful scenes and con-
ditions of the worlds everyday life in
that period.
But then, as in all the subsequent
history of the world until this nine
zenith century, registration and verified
statistics were unknown, Ancient
history has little to give US beyond the
wars, riyalries and destructi We am
billions of kings, rulers, tyrants and
despots. The everyday life of the
srbiect races, the swelling masses and
of the teeming millions, belong to what
we may paradoxically call historical OBJ
livion. Even in the memory of our
gcandfathers, little was ever known of
The general condition of mankind.
Whereas now the whole worlds
journal is carefully written up by tens
of thousands of daily recorders. For
merly good men and good women,
learned men and learned women, earn
est minded and noble hearted workers
for public good, were few and far be-
tween. Now they can be counted by
millions, scattered all over the globe,
each individually being a centre for
progressive knowledge and practical
goodness. This supreme and gladden.
ing truth was made sublimely manifest
at the Worlds fair. Nothing either
Iastingly great or good can be attained
without labor and sacrifice. Granted
that insanity has seriously increased
in America during the last twenty
years, this need not shake the conf
dence of the optimist, he can point to
RESULTS of progressive civilization in the
American republic which in magni-
tude and far-reaching benefits to all |
the world, are unparalleled in the |
whole history Of the world. Consider
f-r a moment the gigantic cost and |
high pressure of blood force, nerve |
power, soul energy and Of intellectual
activity, all of which have been SO
lavishly, eheerfulIy and self-denyingly |
put forth to build up this great cath
olic minded and benefcent republic.
Is it to be wondered at that the clear
ringing metal of American democracy
should at some points have yielded to
the pressure of over work? We regret the
penalty that has to be paid if only by
one human sufferer, but though the nat
ural law OF natural sequence moves
slowly, it moves surely, and all infrac-
tions of the natural order of thing,
whether material or psychical, are as
certainly corrected as they are made,
for there is no such thing as partialitY
to individuals or to nations.
II therefore there be an increase OF