The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-03

eouTs" ny passing through iofS ava
must BE- the explosive force OF gunpowder
Then the seemingly Impossible happens
r. r !. - M iaa-sous!y Fad. for cutting
purposes Ard yet no one ever knew
knife 10 cut unless force was used. OF
isxelf no knife ever cut anything. Or ever
@sii. And the duller the knife the more
force required So of men. Most OF US
need good deal Of pushing. Some of as
are SO soft that as in the case Of the TAI
low candle an explosion Of some kind IL
absolutely necessary before We can be
made to see the point
hgt more important si3li - the forcsi0i
will which, without regard 10 obstacles
pushes straight on toward the goal
The law of advance compefs men 10 I'M
prove TO acquire or To suffer. By work
". improve. We acquire and We prevent
that sorrow and suffering which lack OF
up the true business o; life. But work
must be properly directed. Strong men.
forceful men, are needed: must De had
That goes without say;ns. Given the OPP
portuaity. however. the man must not
only be prepared TO do the work TO be done.
must not only have the requisite force, but
wanted who. when given the gun, can hit
the mark. Some men couldn't hit the
ground if they fell out OF tree. Theories
are Well enough In their place, but men
cannot always ,heorize. The time of ac-
ton must come. and when this is at hand
mere theory Is and should be at a dis
a
al the base and origin or all knowledge.
But this is only in the tentative stage OF
things. for hypothesis beng mere sup
position. there are no limi.s to hypothesis
other than tina; OF the human imagination.
and therefore these may be made 10 en-
brace anything and everything. A theory,
a hypothesis that cannot be proven. Is
therefore little better than a guess And
anybody can guess, one guess being as
good as another until proof is furnished.
When. however. the guess has been made
AVID fort h.sv star1
time for action is at hand. And Ii must
be seized and firmly held. otherwise ir
resolution spoils all. The pale and ssckly
cast OF thought which forever deiiherates
character.zes the inefficient, the cowardly
and the worthless. And yet among the
dreamers are many most lovabie souls. 1t
TO the world. Their thoughts. however
can only be of value when transmitted in
to action by men OF sterner stuff Thomas
Carlyle that great thinker, sets forth In
trenchant style the proper relations be-
tween the idea. the thought and theory OF
things upon the one side and action upon
the other. thus:
Every man, every situation has duty.
an ideal, which follow or be damned" do
what thou canst. be ii ever so little thou
art able TO do-do ii in Gods name. Up!
Up. And again he says: Conviction 10
useless unless ii convert Itself into con-
duct. And yet no man. ! think has more
forcihiy set forth the power OF the ideal
over the lives of men and the work of the
y, ii
be understood as belittiing the power OF
Ideas. for 1t is the low idea or the lack OF
ideas that BEETLES man, while, converse
ly. a great idea will raise clod. And Mr..
Carlyle has set forth this truth most clear
ly. rs not a symbol he says. FOR him
who has eyes 10 behold 1t some dim reve-
laton OF the God-like?' And ideas exert
their force most powerfully. too, upon
men and women who are not ordinarily
considered thoughtful. for il is eternally
true that all men, even the most ignorant
and besotted live in their thoughts. The
soldier follows his flag. But the flag is
for him, and for us all I trust, symbol
an ideal. representation of something
unseen. Behind our flag stand the immor-
tai fathers of the revolution. the firm re-
solve of Bunker Hill. the giories OF York.
town and the deathless fame OF Washing
ton. In it We see the symbol of liberty.
our homes. our firesides. and all We hold
ing we behold the idea for which men are
ever ready to die. But glorious as are
symbols and ideas. they are valueless I'M
less joined to action. Our flag is indeen
a grand one, but II is grand in our eyes
only because il represents deeds done and
actions performed. And Its grandeur will
depart whenever We are unwilling to de-
fend Its folds with shot and shell. Deeds
are yet required. Our sons must still sup
port the standards our fathers raised. And
they must support ii in the same way, by
action. by deeds oc daring and the exer-
else of that supreme quality, manly cour-
age. For this there is no substitute. Moth
ing has ever. or can ever take it's place.
They say that God Almighty hates a cow
The fact is, my facilities for finding out
things like that are meag@r indeed /
cannot say. But this ! VIII aver: The
American people. the people among whom
you. my young friends. to live, have
an infinite contemp. for lack OF nerve.
which II YOU show they Will take no pains
TO conceal. And courage is no: only re-
Iuired upon the battlefield 1t must be
shown every day OF your lives in the work
OF the world you will be called upon to do.
Why do men lie and women. alas. pre-
varicate' Why. simply this: They fear to
tell the truth. srrhe worker needs cour-
age as much. perhaps more. than the col
der. Truth Is sweet mistress. but only
the very brave may follow her" And
assure you. have abundant opportunity TO
put In practice all the courage he may
possess or can acquire But 1t must he
summoned Courage Is required He who
has II not may as we'll retire and acknowl-
edge himself beaten in the strife II may.
however. be gradually developed Harriet
Martireau ] think II was who wrote:
Each and every man owes Il TO society 10
calmly and dspa ssionate.y set forth with
supreme disregard to the opinions 81 9TH
ers what to him seems lust and true
Think this over carefully and then un-
der,ake 20 practice II. and YOU will have
abundant opportunity TO exercise what I
have called the supreme virtue-courage,
And yet this is the message 10 the world
Sfct}AtN tpNUu1N 10 YOU w NIX 10 YOU
seems lust and true" This is the meas
ure Of truth given into your kee ping And
vet will venture to remark tha; not one
Of ven who has begun 10 think for HIM
self dare fully ana unauaAHedy support
and defend through good and evi. report
ali he thinks 10 10 true Sill bv much
As W faii IN ;his by much are we
faIse tn OAR God, 70 cur fellows and 10
ourselves
We may. however. comfort auraelves
with ta3s, The work Of Ihe word has Al
WAYS hetn don" by very mQe.[+et mon
ana women. though strength. fore. low
or in som, = re't!ou has always he~u
manifested. Look AZ he Bible " OftAie~.
t'ne In e2e3'N 6.0g a eat through me
rents i'm ;he regulations ~ Tnaus Of tn =
people Aud yet In eV@rv ins.a1ce some
strong faculty some sfssiing convict on.
Some supreme quality, saved the aero. the
sage and the proph =. separating him
from the vRstrel tnd he brute "he most
'eat any of Us cAn hope % he r al"sr, red
for i Sentsrc. or TIVE. soma few words
NJ cheer a .ae.d. an act. a Aeipias and 20
some eyopluE to}I1w-traYeIsr upon iifes
ihnruN path. Lei rs. then. nGo'E = solve.
despite cur weakness ana past failures. 10
lrsv" hah,1t Us some footprint upon the
sands of ru1e which
~ :c~lovn auf SRipwret ked brother,
shall take