Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-03-07
TRUE AND FALSE RADICALISM.

preacher knows" Sald a wondering
little girl in her comment upon SER
mon, in which the preacher pitched
into the existing order Of things, and
drew terrible picture Of affairs both
In church and state and wound up by
stating that he for one was Radical
and that in his radicalism he had very
good company, and then proceeded to
classify himself with those whom the
world reveres in their memories for
the good, positive and real, which they
did in their day and for all time. 1t
is mans own business in this free
country to call himself radical or
any other name, IL he likes 1t, and II
he thinks it best, describe his character
and his work; but 1t may be che pro-
tests too much in his attempts to be
radical, and that he ceases to be really
radical, and only proclaims his weak
ness and vanity" And we protest
against the idea that all the good in
the world comes from such kind Of
radicalism. There IL such thing as
OVERRIDING matter. The one who
overacts his part makes himself ridic-
ulous only the one who is true to ma
ture is the real actor. The overdrawn
picture Of what may be very sad
state of affairs not only obscures the
truth, but discredits it in the mind of
the average person. We honestly be-
lieve that there are thousands who do
not realize what u dsgraceful state of
affairs exists in some of our states
and cities, simply because the truth
has been discredited in advance by the
reckless and radical utterances Of
some who fancy that they strengthen
their case by ignoring the ninth com
mandment, and, by making charges
which only exist in the realm OF
fancy. What wonder when their
dreadful prophecies do not pan out,
that the average person discredits all
their utterances, even when they state
u truth. But radicalism properly I'M
dcrstood, and applied, in the light of
its etymology is Il splendid thing. Az
u Democratic paper, we cannot have
any real objection to 1t. Among its
definitions we find the word Democrat,
which, according to our idea, repre-
sents the best policy of the govern
ment. Besides this, to be rooted and
rs the word indicates, in the
faith of anything which we want bad
ly, why this is one half of the battle.
This Is radicalism of which we do
not now speak, and in which all can
glory. But we protest against that
which in the name of radicalism as
sumes, without right, all It's virtues
and Is nothing more or less than a
political or social cyclone; and
which, regardless of what is good,
brings destruction wherever 1t strikes.
Its work Is purely destructive, and
consists chiefly in overturning and
roofing out old faiths and customs,
In breaking down the land marks Of
sober morality, in pushing ideas of so
Der morality to the denial of just laws;
In the preaching of repentance with
unchastened zeal; In the forgetfulness
Of the ninth commandment; In the
seeking for God only in the earth
quake and fire.
Such whirlwinds may be necessary
at times to purify the air; but it is in
the sunshine and gentle air that the
fruits ripen. And the fault we find
with these windy radicals is that they
seem to think or insist that this fruit
must ripen in their tempest and not in
the sunshine and rain. They seem
to go on the theory that tearing down
and building up are one and the same
thing. TO cast out the devil and to
forget all about filing that life with
some good, so that there would be no
room for the DEVILS return, is about
the size of their idea of moral and
social reform. And the return again
Of these devils to the empty heart
sums up the folly of their theory.
There is II great deal of talk at the
present time which goes under the
name of radicalsm, which is pure
nonsense. We refer to the setting up
of straw men to knock down when
there Is no objection; the wholesale