The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-06
present DAY TnOUGHTS.
BY G. Grosvenor Dave.

Freedom Of Thought.-I wonder
whether any OF US really understand
what we mean by freedom OF
thought" We boast about it and re-
gard 1t as a precious heritage from the
fathers who fought for it, but to what
extent do we understand it? Possibly
a great deal, as far as we ourselves are
concerned Our ideas go soaring away
IN this direction and in that until we
are thrilled with rejoicing at being able
to think on great subjects and puzzle
out great plans for ourselves and the
world around us. But when 1t relates
to the other man, with thoughts at
varlanceS from our own, then where
Is our glorying in freedom? / tell you
tyranny turks very near to great
hearts; for they are on fire with en-
thusiasm and so concentrated in their
efforts that they cannot brook the idea
OF there being any side but their side
to question. Yet surely one mans
right to think carries with it the right
for all to think and to think unhinder-
edly. The way to down error of
thought is not by denying it the right
to exist, but by treating it with sweet
reasonablenesS. Thought never did
harm to any land. 1t is like measles.
harmless if allowed on the surface, but
exceedingly dangerous if forced to 'set
In The man whose freedom to think
as he chooses is denied him, has within
him the seed Of revolution and the last
end of the repressor is worse than the
first. Instead Of less freedom let. us
have more Of it, particularly in our
great cities, and thus many noxious
influence will be made harmless be-
cause Of its freedom, and because its
strength is not aroused by opposition.
Martyrs to restrained thought are dan
gerOus storm centers.
Real Culture.-Culture Of the head
alone is disastrous in it's effects, it
either makes a man a mere scrap-bag
Of odds and ends Of knowledge, or a
supercilious cur who looks down on the
rest of us as Philistines and outcasts,
or it turns a man into ponderous nui-
sance who needs must air knowledge
and awe listeners on every possible
occasion. You know all three kinds
SO do I. There is in my memory at
this moment the picture of an awk-
ward lout who by reason of college ed
ucation knows the most extraordinary
details about languages ancient and
modern, but cannot succeed in doing
anything higher than write addresses
for a pittance Of IS per week. That
other sort of a fellow Is in every town,
a little more bookish than his neigh
bors, by reason perhaps of the short
sleeved father who spoiled a man and
made a fool when he denied himself to
give the lad a crust of education.
Since the fatal day when the boy was
lead to think of himself as a little SUI
perior to the plowboys he left behind.
he has made culture an offense to the
nostrils of those who have an infinitely
better quality than miles of book
knowledge knowledge which
goes SO much further than dead lam
guages In the storms and stress and
trials of life. The noisy, positive, dis
putable character who has read much,
remembered much, learned little is also
familiar to all. of US. Real culture is
of head and the heart together. So
that the learned one has pity for those
less favored, energy for making the
best of his mental outfit. and the strain
of consideration to him that character