The Indianapolis journal., 1896-01-30
ON MORAL BACKBONE
LECTURE by THE REV. THOMAS DIX
ON AT PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
Difference Between Backbone" and
"PIain MULE Defined In a Pleasing
and striking Manner. e

Rev. Thomas Dixon, pastor of the Peo-
pies Church Of New York. an independent
denomination, which holds services in the
Academy of Music. gave a lecture last
evening at Plymouth Church, under the
auspices of the Montefiore Society. 1t was
the most wide-awake lecture yet given and
the speaker held the closest attention for
nearly two hours. He reminds me of Lin
coln,' said onee Mr.. Dixon is tall, thin
almost TO leanness, with very dark hair,
which grows thick and half falls over his
forehead, and which he frequently pushes
back; black eyes, under brows that are
overhanging, like those of Scotch people;
nervously energetic, with manner and
strong, firm, decided voice that leaves not
the slightest doubt but backbone and
plenty of it is a conspicuous part Of his
makeup. If it were not he could not go in
with DR.. Parkhurst and be the fighter that
he is.
Backbone he described as being a
characteristic of the man who has the
courage of his convictions. One who can
say II will' and then go ahead and stick
to it. "A man." he said. "can stand with
out arms, without legs-I have seen man
who can. Corporal Tanner-but no man can
stand who has not backbone"
This is an age of change, an age Of de-
velopment. To illustrate his point he told
of hearing two young women playing the
violin in a church in Brooklyn, and from
his words the audience could almost hear
the music. Years ago there was a man in
Carolina who played the violin, and the
church members said that If he played the
fiddle" he would go to hell. "He kept on
playing the fiddle" Mr.. Dixon said, land
if he went there it was because he did not
play it any better"
The speakers manner of speaking fire.
quently expressed the thought more strong
ly than the words. for he is an actor, and
played on the emotions at will. Having an
idea and sticking to it, whether right or
wrong, through thick and thin, he said,
is not backbone, but is plain mule" Back
bone Is not always the quality of sticking
fast; it is often having courage to change.
Frederick the Greats message to his Par
| lament, Il have just lost a battle, and il
was all my own fault required backbone.
1t sometimes takes backbone to retreat.
An interesting and amusing part of the
lecture was the recounting of his political
experience when a young man. At that
time anyone could run for office; all he had
to do was to run. Mr.. Dixon decided to run
for the Legislature. He started out all
alone, after having conference with him.
points He had one opponent whom he
feared. He made a speech that simply
riddled the opponent, but a man who had
heard him came to him and said the speech
was good, but that he ought to leave out a
certain part. The second day he delivered
it another man told him he ought to omit
another part, and by the fourth day there
was none of his speech left. His advice
from this experience was, Don't lose any
time time trying to please; don't bow down to
man can please mob? Are there any
politicians here?'
Trying to please all the members of a
new congregation where he was called in
Boston, he said, would result in putting the
organ in the other end of the church,
changing the pulpit, changing the stone
spire and the walls of the church. After
these were all down some old fellow would
say he never did like the lot and to blow
the lot up with dynamite would leave a
hole in the ground The lesson was plain.
The speaker told of visit of Luther
SV tain district M t' of North Carolina "a to give
temperance. lecture. His audience was
mostly moonshiners. Some one distributed
circular telling that Mr.. Benson had been
knew the kind of men in that locality, and
he thought the temperance lecturers life
would not be worth much, but he was mis-
taken. Benson was not ashamed to own
that he had been drunk. and then he went
on to tell how drink had been his curse.
Those men listened, standing, for three
hours and they pressed so close about him
that he scarcely able to move. He
had courage and he won. when a man
stands his ground he succeeds; If not, he
just naturally gets Kicked the speaker
said.
THE trouble is We have convictions, but
there comes an hour of trial. and when it
comes it marks what the man is. The
strength of a chain is that of its weakest
link; a mans character is as strong it
words he gave the account of William
Lloyd Garrison taking his stand when he
struck the blow for abolition. he told of
Alexander II. Stephens, with half para
lyZed body, who became the Governor of
the Empire State of the South. valiant
and so valued a man that his chair IL kept
as one Of the precious possessions of the
nation. 81 will' kept Douglass Jerroij
alive three years. and the same courage re-
newed life in woman for forty years.
A fine word picture was drawn of Milton,
who took his affiiction of darkness and
made an immortal name for himself With
ringing words he told OF the train going up
the side of the mountain. The engineer saw
ahead some freight cars, which had become
detached and were rushing back down the
mountain. He had courage, and, thinking
swiftly, whistled for brakes, ordered the
engine TO be detached from the train,
pulled open the throttle TO its fullest ex-
tent he and the fireman jumped, and the
engine rushed up the hill TO meet the cars
did its work and the train was saved. The
audience were breathless, and there were
tears in many eyes as he completed. Mr..
Dixon gave courage to the fainI-hearted
and there were not a few in that vast
| audience who felt that in the future they
would stand firm and have more back
bOue''