St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-21
CHARACTER BUILDING.

AS SilUWlHS the ulfectlOn winch tile
thought of intelligent and thoughtful
men is taking in this renaissance. of,
study Of those fundamental questions
underlying governments and their linz
ltations, the sermon of DR.. S. G. Smith
last Sunday is noteworthy. -
Approaching the question on the Side
of the effect Of almsgiving, or rather of
almstaking, OH the recipients, he rea-
sons as clearly and as conclusively as
would any Informed individualist dem
onstrating the facilitating effect on ma
tiOnal character of collectivism. He
drew on comparative history to show
that the nations that became great were
those in which the law of the survival
Of the fitteSt had the freest play. Among
the Greeks and Romans the individual
had to depend OH himself The Spar
tans chucked the decrepit baby into the
horse pond to save the community an
incumbrance. The weaklIngs were neg
lected. If they could not take care of
themselves, they dropped by the way.
There was no beggary, no almsgiving.
Each man supported himself, and asked
no odds OF any one.
Hence, inevitably, the best survived;
the hardest, the most fit to live and
hold their own; and. as a nations char
acter is only that of its individuals, these
nations waXed strong and great because
their men were strong and self-reiant.
1t was not then thought to be the func-
ton Of society to save men from them
selves; to guard or protect them from
their own follies and improvidence: but
they were left to work out the problem
of existence as best they could amid the
conditions surrounding them.
Then came the Christian religion, with
its injunction to "sell all that thou hast
and give to the poor" 1t was wave
of unregulated sentiment, taking no
account of remote effects, but seeing
only the Immediate distress and reliev-
ing against it. When we come to ac-
count for the decadence which followed
its advent among the European nations
during that long period cIassed as the
Ozark ages" or the middle ages"
when progress stopped and intellect
slumbered, the universal prevalence of
aims asking, the churchly incuication
of it, the example of it set by the church
and the religious almshouses which in
tested the country, must be taken into
account and largely considered.
Character Is not built up or developed
by eXtraneous aid. 1t is only brought
out under the stress of struggle, of pep
severance under difficulties, of resist
ance of PRESSURE; by braveIy doing
duty; by self-reliance, self-dependence.
Strength is gained by resisting tempta-
ton. The Indians belief that the
strength of his fallen adversary passes
into and becomes his expresses great
metaphysical truth. He is stronger
that he has met his enemy in combat
and overcome him. So is every, man
stronger, better able to cope with the
next. who has unaided met and SUBJ
dued one difficulty. Every person who
has lived long enough to find out his
own limitations knows from experience
how weakening to his moral fiber is ass
sistance; how less capable it leaves him
to meet the succeeding obstacles;e how
much more inclined he is to awaitIhelp.
And it makes no difference how this
help comes, whether 1t is the mistaken
AOhOhSoo VI LCioClNOos tlAO COlupAcCOAp
giving of friends. the assistance Of or
ganized charity, or the Intervention of
the state; in any case the taking of
what effort has not earned debilitates
and demoralizes. There is no exception.
The business establishment that is built
up by the industry, energy and ability
of its founders is ever sounder, strong
er one than is tine one which starts with
an unearned bonus. The railroad that
was honestly built to meet demand is
not one of those operated by receiver.
These will be found TO have had
their land grants. their bonuses, or some
other inducement to the weakness of
eXtravagant management.
The industrial establishments of the
country are demonstrating the weaken
ing effects of aid, and are making pit
iful display of their debility in their
asseyerations today that they cannot