The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-10

e-n. Herewith TO be corfenl- ~ Ais1pS'-4~0
fv.z
Pau tells the Philippians about the
greatest lesson of his lie the greatest ies-
scr OF Al ifv4e-''En whatEceTer state am
stee-axs,h 70 be cortent-" A. tire opening
% The rev year on the vantage ground
between the valley of retrospsctio1 ana
she mountain Of anticipation u y one q
~ chef things 70 dwell upon-co1tsut.
Nhaf does II meant Literally. 10 hold
together" To contain ones sell within
certain limits. Going back farther 10 the
Creek word. here translated content,
we fn6 IT comes from two words. sell
ard ward off" Thus the idea OF self
sufficsant: 20 get ores supplies within
ones self: 70 be satisfied with what one
has. Thucyaides uses the word for coun-
try that wants no help from other conki-
tries, that supplies itself. thai seeks no
imports. Seif-saffieiency Is. perhaps. the
nearest approach 70 a definition
The use that ThucydIdes makes OF the
word suggests a false saif-suh!cleScy, an
fgnobls conteutment. ian ovsTweentng
opinion OF ones own powers. capabilities
or worth. nation may err In this re-
spect. There Is often a national Split OF
vain-gIory. A nation may be too 'selt-
isolated: II viii not take into account oth-
~r nations: II thinks Il knows al that -
and older countries: II repels Intercourse
and builds an imaginary wall along us
shores and boundaries. Superstition calls
this imaginary line real one. and magni-
fss It's Importance. This 70 China. Yes. but
how about our own country Has not our
own beloved nation overestimated its own
powers IN the tendency 10 decline the ideas
and methods that prevail In other landsT
We have much 20 be proud OF. and as
nation we may rightly claim pre-eminence.
but I'm many important phases OF social
science we have much 20 learn. No one
nation can stand alone today on any ques-
ton. financial social, commercial TIE
marvellous advance IN teiegraphy and
transportation forbids for any country too
much self-sufiiciency.
The individual too. may be self-sufficient
in the wrong way. The life that lives only
20 and for itself dies in the attempt or
rather rots which Is worse than death. for.
as the apostle says. except corn OF
wheat fall into the ground and die, II
absdetn alone The abiding alone IL the
rneanes. condition. A man without amhi-
ton. who stops satisfied at any stage IN
growth. is contradictlng the purpose OF his
life. There are those who Yield altogether
to environment. who let circumstances
control chara ctsr. instead Of making char
acter conquer circumstances They are
nodded by local prejndices and carried
climate will often determine the character
of a people. He Is a brave man VINO Will
up and defy climate and make hts own
sunshine for himself and others- A man
may accept what he has. IL IL IS the best he
can attain but never what he Is. There
IS always something more TO be. IL Is ig-
noble content TO ward of progress No
one should rest absolutely upon his own
opinions. IL il always well TO leave mar
gin for change. The great man, like Glad
stone, may change his views every day II
ne II sanrere in the transition. Emerson
protests against the common plea for con-
sistency Consistency is often cowardice.
False content says. Let well enough
alone" II dare not be today, this year.
other than / was yesterday" II bottles
up opinions. faiths. customs and hermeu-
caIly seals them.
So with the church. II may also have
the wrong suffclency. There can be no
such thing as CLOSE communion" in the
truly Catholic church. church, as well
as an individual. may live too much with
IN Itself. one idea OF q church Is 10 make
At as select as possible; the entrance as
narrow. A church Is wrongly self-sufh-
cient when II falls 10 enter into the com
mon needs OF the community where IL Is
planted. That church best fulAlls the
= purpose of its existence when Il makes It's
lie commensurate with the life OF human.
fty all around IL.
Contraxed with this false self-suffi.
cheney is the true content that Paul por'
trays IL does not preclude change. Il
does not forbid growth. IL is not tht
mean satisfaction OF sitting down viii
folded hands and saying: 1T is enough
Not that. But the holding OF self togeth
err. well IN hand, in the sense OF not
breaking over into useless anxiety; no
the making war on the future. deter
49, ~ =
cnl;ies that may arise and fight the bat
tie before the foe has appeared. This
things that do not happeni How man,
hours OF discomfort people spend over th'
sr1pozsibiei True content does not for
bid forethought but II does ward eff fore
sorrow. Ingerson has recently objected 4
Christs maxim, take no thought for tn
morrow" He should have read the new
version: Pc not anxious for your life.'
That Is what IL means. Who win sal
that the world today Is not IN need OF sucl
. serrnon7 The Christian scientist &
preac hing Christ when ne tells MS II I
wrong 20 worry. True self-sufficleucy 4
that condition Of the mind In which moth
ing can fol the energy Of the spirit" I
Is the feeling that ''in each condition Their
is some divine spring OF help" What W
al need 20 cultivate. and each new yea
suggests the opportunity. Is the spirit o
rezourcefuine=s involving q certain spir
ituai elasticity To De self-sufficient in N
divine wRv Is no; the reliance upon prop
crty or possessions. not the trust I'm
posed on things outside os ones self. bu
the reliance upon what Il within one
soul. When the soul Is filed with the spiri
az God and knows whence It's strength
derived, II can face hravely and cheerful
" any condition Men today are lookfn
here and there for satisfaction: they thin
they may ind cure-ah for every trouble
individual Or social, IN changed conditions
And 20 large extent they are right. Re,
ter environment will make better I've,
but this Il not the only method. Remedie
e. the way OF external appliances a.
suggested on al sides. Ianlments an
plasfers ans bandsEeS FOR the sfiT Ssinf
and bruised sirnha OF poor humanity. Be-
ter laws. fetter money and more n 4
Better Tits or that IN terms often coufis
ing and misleading. BUT not IN any or a
~ these ways wEl man ever come 10 n
state - absolute perfection. First OF a
he must SEQ 90 his own lie. Every ma
must work oct his own salvation" CO
working VIA him. TO rs'y on self IN IN
FIRST and best prescription for every mar
TIE fr7loss charity - that which teachs
Seaf-Ae@a- ones own Industry. ones ow
VIII power. ones own temperate. frrira
henest lifs rauss iesd the way - true cor
tS-s1fment TH~pss.sras % rnen are hogylfry
to-day against Institutions. asralnSt s,verr
raent or ceslrcH or sccIetv hiarainz frssf
tssftcns fer their Terrouas needs ana az
sssiSsscttcns. ~te1 - truth - that :
mary cSSsS. admitting sR the Injustice an
inequality IN s~orTsaTate tife ysese v.~
men havr fatied Themselves q, usa thal
live. 70 best advantage. How finely F,-,el
zen rass 81.