The record-union., 1897-12-12
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
BY Memo"

copyrighted by Dave & Tabor.)
Right ideas suffer more from wrong
presentation than they do from active
opposition Given a man who is un-
willing to be convinced and you have
less of an opponent in him than you
have in yourself in your careless meth
cd of approaching him. In fact, it
sometimes seems as though many good
people hold to most excellent ideas.
more to crafty their sense of pride at
having ideas at all, than to persuade
others less enlightened. AT any rate
there are many who approch their fel-
lows 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 striving
to make point is a 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 ascribed his extraordinary powers
of persuasion to the fact that his man
ner always showed respect for the
opinions of others. Having secured his
listener, he would gradually lead UP 10
the telling points by saying, Don't you
thnk?" rather than Il think" He thus
won by leading his opponents JudS-
meEt onward to the point of conVlnc-
ing itself. Whatever truth there is IN
this-and I imagine there is great
dealt is worthy of even more than
partial imitation by every one who at
tempts to mold the thoughts of 9TH
ers But the Difference we show TO the
opinions of others must be really SIN
cere-and there is no reason why it
should not be. for not one of US alb
serbs in one small brain all vast truth
or we shall fail to convince; Tor the
snare is set in vain in the slght or any
bird. and the pit along line of argu-
ment is never to be digged in the sight
Of the victim.
Approach a man in a way that be-
tokens a belief in your own superiority
or with a manner that seems patron
iZing. and he is almost sure to resent IT,
You have for the moment forgotten the
veneration 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 thoughts
of others; believe in advance that every
man has ideas,-or thinks he has, which
comes to the same thing; and you
will find yourself moving steadily to-
ward the winning of him, if he is less
firm in his facts and thought and logic
than you. It is true indeed that a sue
cessful 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 prep
aration beforehand suited to the per-
son attacked, much as q General dis
poses 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.
I remember reading somewhere OF a
misguided enthusiast who looked over
a fence and hailed a young fellow in
such an alarming tone of voice that the
youth incontinently fled. What did
the stranger then do but jump the
fence and set off in pursuit. After a
long chase he winded his frightened fu-
eitive, and then gave him tract, with
some religious advice between breaths.
History does not record the effect; pre-
sumably it is better imagined than
described: but it is to be hoped that the
recording angel used fitting leniency.
Such q well-intentioned one-is he not
common apart altogether from tracts?-