The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1897-09-09

ical makeup, has added to his attain
able results? Tracing his steps back.
ward through the ages we find that
element written upon every page of
the worlds history; written in lurid
letters on fragmentary remains of early
days; written in letters of fire and
blood, in religion, law and literature;
in art and handicrafts; written in every
line and age, in letters of deep relief,
the single force, the element Union.
First union of persons, and then, union
of ideas. Union has made man what
he is, from whatever point of vantage
you may reason, GAIL roads lead to
Rome" was the old saw. But with us
all reasoning points to Union. Mans
early social grouping demonstrated to
his natural intelligence, the benefit to
be derived from simple union for the
common good; the power of union, BE-
fore latent, springs into active exist
ence. The march of progress began;
progress, the child of union, the parent
of artificial life; that progress which,
like the dog star above, has cast its
beams down upon countless genera
tions, often family glowing, perchance
hid by the clouds of ignorance and
prejudice, of war and vandalism; yet
through the rifting border of broken
ideals, it rises more glorious from the
shaddowed background.
We have assumed the foundation
stone of social life, the basic element of
progress, to have been the element of
union-union of individuals, union of
ideas. Let us develop this thought.
At first man was an individual savage,
his strength represented by the integer
one. Union steps in, his strength is
doubled, quadrupled, etc. A group is
formed, union steps in, the group
doubles, quadruples and so on. The
groups form households, presided over
by housefather, households unite,
tribes are formed, tribes unite, nations
are born and, so throughout the course
of time we find an individual race and
nation. But nature demands a COM
penSatiOn for union, which, when it's
forward movement has become weak
ened in energy, lacks cohesive force.
Like the wheel too rapidly revolved, it
splits asunder and thus we find many
nations from the one race; thus the
union of parts is strengthened at times
by division, a weakening process.
Again the force of union may grow so
strongly within definite lines as to re-
tard its offspring, progress, by produc.
ing an ultra conservative condition of
society, society, or social life, of which
the Chinese is today typical; which
characterized the Moorish and Moham-
medan races of the middle ages and the
Egyptians and Babylonians of anti
guilty. A spirit of eve and we alone
are the people" This conservatism,
permeating the social fabric gradually
choked the path of progress since it
assumed the unattainable as attained in
them. Why look farther for truth
since we have found it? Why seek
new things since these we now possess
are perfect? Union-liberal, open.
questiOning-begets an intelligent
progress.
Union of persons, union of ideas
let us now consider the union of ideas.
At first mans savage nature would
rule the union formed, and the first
ideas to be generally grasped by the
social life of people would be crude
and partake of their earlier conditions
"Might would make right" Brute
strength would rule the individual, ag-
gregate brute strength the nation as
against nation, individual prowess
national triumph in war, hence war is
the dominant idea of crude social life
and exemplifed by every page of an.
cient and medieval history. War was
the crowning glory of Thothmes and
Rameses, of the Hyksos and Seti OF
Egypt; of Nebonoplasser and Neb.
uchadnezzer of Babylon; of Cyrus and
Darius of Persia; of Alexander, Caesar
Charlemagne and Napoleon. Brute
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