The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-14
Terse Talk by DR.. Jordan to
the Farmers Gathered
at San Jose.
HOW TO BRING PROSPERITY.
Studying and Pursuing the Methods
of Those Who Succeed the
Only Course.

series OF the camp hOaCne lectures ueSah
here to-day with an address by President
Jordan upon 1.-The Money Value OF Truth. 7"
The object of the address was to show that
accurate knowledge paid its possessor not
in mere culture or intellectual pleasure,
but in money.
In demonstrating this DR.. Jordan, as is
his custom, went to the bottom OF things.
He began by an inquiry into the nature Of
truth and the difficulty of its ascertain
ment. He instanced child walking in a
garden with some talk of COLLINS who
might get her, to which the child replied
that there were no COLLINS and never
would be any, and SO she was not afraid;
whereupon she was asked whether she
knew that there was anything, and she
said she knew there was squash, for she
could see it and feel it, showing that what
the senses taught seemed true to the child.
Yet, said the doctor, the senses could not
be relied on, for they sometimes lied. An
intelligent, educated person of his knowl-
edge actually saw creeping, writhing
worms in all oranges, which all others saw
as the mere strings and fbers of the in
terror construction of the orange. Another
that he knew saw all rabbits with straw
hats and red ribbons, and thought it a
wrongful waste. Still another had the
power to leave the sleeping body
and go forth among other souls
in caves and woods and elsewhere
that they lodged, and did so daily
till she learned to distinguish them one
from the other in their tiny globular forms
and recognize them as she met them.
Who should say that these persons did not
see and do these things? Their senses so
told them, and why may not their senses be
right and ours all wrong? Memory was pro-
verbally treacherous, and children and
old people told untruths, believing them,
because they were unable to separate their
mental impressions of what was or had
been from those of what might be. One
mans dream was another mans truth |;
actual truth, absolutely. known as such of
all mankind, was never reached.
Feeling this some had doubted even ex-
istence, and defed proof thereof, since
there could be no proof but that of the
senses, and the senses could not be believed.
Some in despair said there could be no re-
lance but in authority, and what the Book
said but then how do we know that the
Book exists?
Thus and by other illustrations showing
the difficulty of ascertaining truth, DR..
Jordan said there could be no remedy for
these doubts but by the exercise of ro-
bust common-sense; as for him he did not
doubt what he saw or felt or tasted, so
long as the impressions conveyed to him
by his senses correspondent in the main
with those conveyed by the same objects
to others.
But, excluding metaphysical puzzles,
there could be no absolute knowledge.
Whatever science, with its instruments of
precision, might seem to demonstrate no
one could say that additional facts dis
covered later might not change the con-
illusions.
But while all truth could not be known
the necessary truth is always available;
the necessary truth is the truth essential
to life. The dog, said the speaker, scented
a thousand smells which man did not rec
ognize, because the wild dog lived by
tracking game and man did not; the dog
had the keen sense of smell, because the
dogs which did not have it died and left
no descendants, while those which had it
multiplied and transmitted the quality.
Where the loco weed grew the native horse
had no appetite for it, because the horses
which did like it died and left no de-
scendants.
"AIl knowledge modifes action" he
continued. 1--WE do according to what
truth Is It appears to US directs us. If we
know not truth we die. The test of truth
therefore, is safety and prosperity. If we
l. !
per; if we know it not we act unwisely,
grow weaker and die. The best definition
Of truth is knowledge that is safe to act
upon. We live because our simian an
cestors knew better than to eat poison.
ain the primitive life small knowledge
was essential With the abundance of
food, they who knew how to distinguish
the good from the harmful prospered, but
those who had not that knowledge died.
In complex modern life far greater knowl-
edge is essential, but the penalty for ig-
norance remains the same. The fool-killer Is
relentless, and in the fulness of time finds
all his victims and destroys them. The
final remedy for drunkenness may be the
extinction of all who do not abhor alcohol
Who knows?
knowledge is not only safety. it is
power, ana power IS money anu the COM
fort money brings. Life and society are
full of unnecessary ills; the remedy is not
panaceas, not warfare or abuse, not whin-
ing. 1t is by thorough knowledge. Face
the facts Find out how men become
strong and hearty and prosperous and do
likewise. OF protested reformers ask Gre
dentials. What do they know? All we
can know of what may be we must learn
from what has been: we can only know of
Gods purposes by our knowledge of what
he permits"
At the conclusion of his address Dr.. Jor-
dan answered many questions from the
audience, almost exclusively composed OF
neighDoring farmers. He probably never
addressed just such an audience before,
and the audience and speaker were mutu-
ally delighted with each other
1t is the intent of the management of
this movement to bring the farmers into
personal contact with the ablest men and
deepest thinkers of the day in dispassion-
ate discussion of the vital problems of the
day. Tomorrow morning they will be
addressed by President Kellogg of the
State University; in the afternoon Judge
Mcguire will discuss the single tax in its
application to farm property. Thursday.
Afternoon Colonel Irish and Mr.. Estee
will discuss the money question.
DISHONoRING THE FLAG.
San Jose Merchants arouse the Indigna-
.