The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-12-15

BY .sNEMo.v


presentation than they do from active
opposition. Given a man who il un-
willing to be convinced and you have
less OF an opponent in him than you
have in yourself in your careless
method of approaching him. In
fact, it sometimes seems as though
many good people hold to most ex-
cellent ideas more to crafty their
sense Of pride at having ideas at all,
than to persuade others less enlight-
ened. At any rate there are many
who approach their fellows in such
harsh, unsympathetic ways that they
repel rather than win them. The
impression subject makes depends
on the way it is presented: which is
true whether the one who is striving
to make point is moral teacher or
an irate bull. Parleying is difficult
when your victim is running away
from you as fast as his legs will carry
| him.
1t is told of Benjamin Franklin
that he aseribed his extraordinary
powers of persuasion to the fact that
his manner always showed respect for
the opinions of Others. Having Sc
cured his listener, he would gradually
lead up to the telling points by say
ing, Don't you Think" rather than
81 think" He thus won by leading
his opponents judgment onward to
the point of convincing itself. What
ever truth there is in this-and / i'm
agine there is a great dealt is wor-
thy of even more than partial imita-
tion by every one who attempts to
mould the thoughts of Others. But
the Difference we show to the opinions
of Others must be really sincere-and
there is no reason why it should not
be, for not one of us absorbs in one
small brain all vast truth-or we
shall fail TO convince; for the snare
is set in vain in the sight of any bird,
and the pit along a line of argument
is never 20 be digged in the sight of
the victim.
| Approach man in way that be-
tokens belief In your own superior
ity: or with a manner that seems pat
ronizing, and he is almost sure to re-
sent 1t. You have for the moment
forgotten the generation due to his
individuality. With both of you,
the whole universe is centered on the
spot OF ground that each occupies,
and neither must forget the others
view. Respect the thought OF Others;
believe in advance that every man
has ideas, --or thinks he has, which
comes to the same thing; and you
will fed yourself moving steadily to-
ward the winning of him, il he Is less
firm in his facts and thought and
legic than you. 1t is true indeed
that a successful attack on some one
else's thought is not brought about
merely by force of thought, for force
is too often met with force, but by
careful preparation before suited to
the person attacked, much as q gen
eral disposes Of his troops differently
at every separate fort assaulted.
This ability to reinforce strength
with skill is one of the secrets of
power among leaders of men.
| remember reading somewhere OF
a misguided enthusiast who looked
over a fence and hailed young fell
low in such an alarming tone of voice
that the youth incontiuently fed
What did the stranger then do but
jump the fence and set off in pursuit!
After a long chase he winded his
frightened fugitive, and then gave
him a tract, with some religious
advice between breaths. History
does not record the result; presumably
it is better imagined than described;
but 1t is to be hoped that the record
ing angel used fitting leniency. Such
a well intentioned oDe-is he not COM
mon apart altogether from tracts?
such one needs to follow the Confu-
clan advice which suggests that " In
archery we have something like the
way of the superior man. When the
archer misses the center of the target
he turns round and seeks the cause of
his failure in HIMSELF
In matters of religion and of poll
tics is 1t especially true that many of
us do more harm than good by argu-
ing and persuading. In the first
place we often forget that our oppo-
nent, however mistaken he may ap-
pear to us, has in all probability fully
justified to himself his own line of ac-
ton or belief This is true in rela-
tion to the fanatical followers of the
oldest vagaries, as well as to devout
believers in religion, pure and unde-
filed. But forgetfulness of this fact
produces hates and distrusts and cru
| nc tftar., x.ae. al T..
longed walking tour in Virginia ]
came across peculiar sect on Chinco-
| teque island. Their membership was
less than hundred, yet they felt that
they alone of all the myriads of the
earth would get to heaven. Strange
as 1t may sound, they were quite sim
cere in their Interpretation Of the BIZ
BILE, both on this point and another,
to the effect that all marriages and
all offspring, prior to the 'sanctifica-
ton" of the parents, were illegiti-
mate. l often recall this experience
to guard myself against narrcwness of
view, and for my readers sake men,
tion it here also.
And these poor people will serve to
point another moral, to the effect that
abuse is not argument, for they were
driven from their homes with shot
guns and still cling desperately to
their beliefs down in the swamps of
the Carolinas. Abuse by tongue may
not break bones, but it does not heal
resentments; ranking sores bleed on
increasingly when the human nina
stoops to abuse.
Finally, know what you do know;
and know it thoroughly. Know what
you do not know and hold your tongue
thereon until you open yeur mind, |
and furthermore choose silence rather
than speech, the living of truth rather
than the rroclaiming of it, the atti-
tIda of aarninQ rather than the nosa