The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-06-14
FANATICISM.
It Is Dangerous to Religious Progress
and Destructive to Social Happiness.

It Is DANGEROUS to Religious Progress
and Destructive to Social Happiness.
The prominent social evil of the day
is fanaticism Commonly accepted,
the word relates to religious bodies
only; but in its simple expression, it
embraces all social communities so
that there is no element within the
social realm left free from the hateful
influence of this satanical parasite.
While it creates much disturbance
in social, civil and political affairs, 1t
wreaks it's most effectual destruction
within the religious circles OF every |
denomination. Practically, individual
friendships, commercial and social
peace, unity and liberty in general, are
oftimes diminished, and frequently
totally destroyed by fanatical lntiu-
ence. Theoretically it tends towards,
or rather secures to seek the peaceful
possession of the good it actually des-
troys This fact is most apparent IN
the position party fanatics have taken
on the recent silver question, the pres
ent tariff BILL and the latest develop
ment of barbaric Out-growth, known
as the Coxey Commonweal. Treating
it in a political light alone, the tariff
question serves to illustrate the great
evil of this dangerous agent. Like the
biblical phrase. "the blind leading the
blind,' fanaticism strives to lead the
country out of party slough into the
, Coxeyite trough of "innocuous desue-
tude." 'Tis needless to nifer here that
fanaticism of every class is the un-
healthy offspring Of neglected intellect
! ual education. 1t proceeds from minds
too narrow to grasp universal ideas,
and it's greatest power lies in the fact
, of it's numerical quotient. 1t would be
0 an intolerable absurdity to even i'm
. agine that there are not minds IN both
4 houses of our cOuntrys representa-
4 tlves, land many OF vast ability that
= have not been sufficiently broadened
o bv wholesome education in economics
r to decide at once land that too, for the
T immediate benefit of the masses, the
great question whose unsettled con
e dition is causing such disastrous con
n sequences to all classes of capital ano
u labor throughout this most prosperous
=, % country. The truth of the matter is
e there is too much party fanatlclsn
$ and too little sound patriotism pre-
S. valent among our national represent
% atlyes. These men in their great yea
v. to sustain the imaginary rights OF loca
le constituencies sacrifice, uncOnsclOusly
p | believe, the national, universal veal
ID ID for seeming local advantage. The,
~ forget. or overlook the fact that wha
a is good for the body as whole is ben
eficial to all it's members: while Wha
NAV heal wound of the limb Nigh
annihilate the whole body. Fanatic
)" ism of this kind is sooner or later ovel
Wv come by the popular voice OF ret
nd patriotism as expressed by all the pei
he ple. Not however, till much injury
or suffered by the masses Of the peopl
ut as the present political and CONNIE
~ cial crisis potently indicates. Not
as is it true of religious fanaticisi1
ess which is ever cropping out along tf
ng by-ways of religious progress. The II
n1s eiL, juries wrought by this vile enemy
we human peace and happiness are
me founding. When one contemplates tt
ed, magnitude of intellectual develo
lSSe ment that has everywhere made SUI
nd rapid strides through the vast fields
art human knowledge during the pa
Ing century, with the religious congress
Sb sJo Chicago still fresh in happy memo1
- one is justly astonished at the wid
lg' spread existence of religious fanatl
use ism. Meath the veil of christianity
'oo omo hidden in the fanatic the most dang'
md GUS enemy to religious progress
the every branch and description. Char
ha5 is the basis of religion. Extract fro
u;i ,riT the devotional system the influence
nav the sacred gift of brotherly love, al
to the whole religious fabric will dis
ess. pate itself; for this love implies t
Ts 'uSo very essence of christianity. L
Fatherhood of God and the brotherho