The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-14
THE MAN WITH BACKBONE
Is PICTURED IN AN INTERESTING
LECTURE BY THOMAS DIXON, JR.
A Large Audience Assemblies Mt Eng
Iish's Opera House to Hear Him
Some Apt Smiles Are Used.

House last night 70 listen to the talk on
that essential object CT mans makeup,
backbone" was intensely interested by
the remarks and stories told by that inter-
estiLg and extemporaneous lecturer, Thorn
as Dixon jr. His personality and story
telling ability, to say nothing OF his elo-
quent oratorical qualities, carried his listen
ers from laughter and applause to the more
serious emotions. His humor was rich and
palatable. while the remarks he made
to put weight to his arguments in more
serious strain held his hearers spellbound.
The only regret expressed by his listeners
was that they did not have the pleasure of
hearing him make a much longer talk.
NJ Dixon was already well known in In
dianapolis, having won an enviable reputa-
ton as a lecturer when he spoke here last
winter on the New Woman" His talk last
night on Backbone" was received with APP
plause.
AS an introduction to his subject Mr. Dix
on spoke of a book written by a French
writer in regard to the superiority Of the
Anglo-Saxon race. Mr.. Dixon said: This
book will revoluticnize the educational sys-
tenn of the world. The Anglo-Saxon race
is combination of dozen OF the higher
races of the world Five centuries ago the
Anglo-Saxon race, numbering about 100000
people, inhabited small group of Islands OH
the coast Of Europe. The Latin race then
outnumbered them In the five centuries
that have elapsed the Anglo-Saxon race has
increased until it now numbers 625OOO,O0O
people, and the combined armies of the
people of this race could vanquish the rest
of the world, and the combined wealth Is
great enough to purchase the remainder of
~ Gnr
social splendor shows the great advance of
the Ang.o-Saxon people, while the Latin
race has deteriorated. The Frenchman tells
his people in his book that if they can de-
yelop the secret of the Anglo-Saxon people
they will succeed. The truth of the matter
Is that the Anglo-Saxon has great power to
think and act for himself. The Frenchman
in educating his children tells his son that
he shall obey him and he will secure him
place in the army or in public life. The
Frenchman tells his daughter TO obey him
and he will select for her suitable nus
band But the Anglo-Saxon, and especially
the American men, losses his son into the
air, so to speak. and lets him fall on MS
head or heels. In other words, he tells him
to get out and hustle for himself. Ambi'
ton is the great organizer of the world.
BACKBONE NECESSARY.
at is that principle of backbone Of which
sneak tonight. Men can stand without
legs IL they have a backbone. man
should have enogh backbone to Withstand
the hardships of life. Some time ago l
heard a concert in a New York church and
the violin playing was grand, but 1t was
argued that fiddle playing in church
was a terrible thing. One man 1 know of
in a Western State played a fiddle on a
farm and / came to the conclusion that II
/ he went to hell II would be because he did
not play better. That man thought ne
could play and he stuck to 1t. Some men
/ take a stand whether they are in the right
or wrong and they stick to that. 1 do not
/ call that backbone. 1 call that mule sense.
! The man who has the real backbone Is the
man who will stand up for what Is right,
but if he should find out that he Is wrong
/ he should change his base of operations
that was ever shown in the world. l think
was when Frederick the Great met defeat
and then sent word to his king, l have
! just fought a great battle and lost 1t takes
/ backbone TO acknowledge ones loss. During
one of the terrible engagements at the
battle of Bulls Run one irs irish an turn nst
Of the battle had cleared away his comrade:
poked fun at him, when he acknowledges
F, that he had run, but he added that those
VINO didn't were there yet.
at is simply out of the question for 9
man to please everybody in the world 1t 1:
| really never worth the while to know wha
the world thinks of you The same people
who applaud you one day will hiss you the
next: 1t is an easy matter to go into
politics and ran for sheriff nineteen year.
and never was elected, but he is still run
ming. thought once that / would go int
politics and l held a convention in my room
at which myself and Iswere present so
was unanimously nominated for the Legis
lature. drew up my plan of campaign anC
M 1af q M ~ WI NJ haa
| in the Legislature for six years and he of
fered to secure for me the position of read
ing clerk If l desired It, but 1 told him tina
made speech and the farmers came to M
and told me that made the fur fly, that i
should us leave ne out tr part Of it. got the sam
thing the second time 1 spoke, and ais,
the third. After making the fourth speecl
/ found that IL / listened to all my con
stituents 1 would have no speech left NJ,
success depended upon the speech / mad
the first time / went out to stump my dis
trict. and after holding a consultation witt
my chairman and committee, composed en-
tirely OF myself, decided to return TO m,
original speech When election day cam
/ had been elected. This was the result O
my own backbone. The man that take
the right stand and sticks by 1t will win.
CAN'T PLEASE EVERYBODY.
"Again 1 say that a man cannot pleas
everybody. / have been a minister TO
twelve years and in that time 1 have ha,
wide experience. While filling a pulpit II
Boston 1 learned that it was an utter i'm
possibility to please everybody. One mem
Der of the congregation said that the orga
was in the wrong end Of the church. An
so it was. for 1t was in the back part of tn
gallery in the rear of the auditorium. Wei
We had the organ taken out Another di
not like the pulpit. third objected to tn
| saving X
| conSre CATION could not attend services be
cause they were too old to climb the thre
| fights of stairs necessary TO gain entranc
into the church. We had the floor iowere
to the ground. Then came another man VIII
said the steeple was topheavy and a heav
wind would blow ii over and il might crus
into tha church, killing several people. TIL
steeple was removed Then members of III
board OF trustees objected to the imitatio
stone walls because they peeled off In a
| nothing but the lot remained. Then other
| came forward and objected to the lot an
II was almost necessary 10 blow up the lC
ard leave hole in the ground. 1 tell yo
preacher can't please everybody
preacher should have nerve. heard a stor
few days ago that shows that som
| preachers have nerve, and don't know bl
what ii IS the right brand in such cases
Methodist preacher was expounding tn
gospel in his little church when drIlnke
man entered and took a seat in the fror
Tow. TIE man annoyed the preacher an
hnally broke forth with the statement ths
he wanted 10 see miracle. The preacht
! walked down TO the man. and pulling up h
sleeve, exclaimed that he could not perforl
a miracle, but Re could cast out devils. an
he proceeded to give the drunken disturber
good thrashing with his mighty right Suc
power was necessary and the preacher di