The copper country evening news., 1896-04-13

tained by the repetition Of the old argu-
/ ments.
| Now n seems 10 me that it would be far
better for the people OF tOwn having a
population ~ A. 200 or 5000 10 have one
church. and the edilco should be Of use
not only on Sunday, but on every day OF
the week. In this building should be the
library Of the town. Ii should be the club
house of ths people, whera they could hnd
the principal newspapers and periodicals
NJ the world. Its auditorium should be
like a theater. Plays should be presented
| by home talent, an orchestra formed, mu-
sic cultivated. The people should meet
there AT any time they desire. The women
could carry their knitting and sowing, and
connected with it should be rooms for the
playing of games, billiards, cards and
chess. Everything should be made as
agreeable as possible. The citizens should
take pride In this building. They should
adorn its inches with statues and its walls
with pictures. IL should be the intellec-
tual center. They could employ gentle
man of ability, possibly of genius, 70 ad-
dress them on Sundays on subjects that
would be Of real interest Of real impor-
tanoe. They could say 10 this ministers
1--WE are engaged In business during the
week. While we are working at our trades
and professions we want you to study, and
on Sunday tell us what you have found
out"
Let such minister take for a series OF
sermons the history, the philosophy of the
art and the genius Of the Greeks. Let him
tell Of the wondrous metaphysics, myths
and religions Of India and Egypt. Let
him make his congregation conversant
with the philosophers OF the world, with
the great thinkers, the great poets, tho
great artists, the great actors, the great
orators, the great inventors, the captains
OF industry, the soldiers Of progress. Let
them have Sunday school in which the
children shall be made acquainted with
the facts of nature, with botany, entomol-
ogy, something Of geology and astronomy.
Let them be made familiar with the
greatest OF poems, the finest paragraphs
Of literature with stories Of the heroic,
the self denying and generous.
Now it seems to me that such n congre-
CATION In few years would become the
most intelligent people In the United
States.
The truth is that people are tired Of the
old theories. They have lost confidence in
the miraculous, in the supernatural, and
they have ceased to take interest in facts"
that they do not quite believe.
"There is no darkness but ignorance.
There is no light but intelligence
As often as we can exchange mistake
for fact, n falsehood for truth, we ad-
vance We add To the intellectual wealth
Of the world, and In this way, and In this
way alone, can be laid the foundation for
the future prosperity and civilization Of
the race.
/ blame no one; l call in question the
motives of no person; l admit that the
world has acted rs 1t must.
But hope for the future depends upon
the intelligence of the present. Man must
husband his resources. He must not waste
his energies in endoavoring TO accomplish
the impossible.
He must take advantage of the forces Of
nature. He must depend ON education, on
what he can ascertain by the use of his
senses, by observation, by experiment and
reason. He must break the chains of pref
udice and custom. He must be free to ex-
press his thoughts on all questions. He
must find the conditions of happiness and
become wise enough to live in accordance
with them.