Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-06-02
essex County 9srala.
ISLAND PoND. June ..
Without Envy and Without
Prejudice.


a sentiment arraiguS the wisdom OF crea
ton; for differences among men is
part Of the great design and we've crpa
ted for a purpose. Without difference
there would he no rivalry. no noble emu
lation, no heroism, no Washingtons
Boliyars, Wellingtons or DeweyS. With
out political parties everybody would b,
content with what everybody else did
There would be no intense strife in the
administration of public affairs to show
who can do the most and the best foi
the public good. Carelessness. inditfer
onoe, and incompetency and even cupid
ity aud avarice in individuals would 90
unrebuked. All healthy criticism and
study of methods and practices in gov.
eminent would be wanting. There
would be no shame for incompetency,
fraud or debasement, for all would be in
accord with those possessing and eXercis-
ing those qualities. The safety of the
country absolutely requires the test of
the sharpest criticism and all the sug-
gestions of improvement that human in
genuity can make. If there were no
difference in respect of religious matters
all theological questions would he set
tied or harmonized and there would no
longer be occasion to say or do anything
more concerning them. In short if all
men We're in accord mutually the world
would either go off in one direction. all
having common ideas and purposes, all
possessing the same occupation, or else
each would contribute to neutralize the
lives of all Others and the impulses of all
would be in state of perfect inertia.
Most probably the latter.
In such condition life would lose its
charm and zest. Each would converse
with his fellow. Each having common
ideas talking only to his alter ego. Each
would be alive in the world talking to
himself. A perfect harmony of thought
necessarily implies common knowledge,
impulses, sentiments and conditions men,
tally. Then We would have no occasion
to speak at all one to another. Then the
charming mystery of things in each heart,
partially or wholly concealed from 9TH
ers, would he gone. The poet could no
longer enliven the minds by singing:
AYE free, Altman your story tell,
When wi a bosom crony;
But still keep something to yersel
fe scarcely tell to ony."
There would be no occasion even for any
conversation. A dull monotony with
out form and without life would settle
down on mankind. All those enlivening
impulses which lead men to achievement
and on which civilization so depends for
the worlds progress would be wanting.
Even exclusive societies have peculiar
ly beneficial qualities. While they are
exclusive they are in the best conditions
to cultivate the highest conditions of
charity, benevolence and other social vir-
tues. And the wider they expand out
into common conditions and become
neutralized by general participation the
less will their fruits flourish. With per-
feet and common participation and ex-
perience the world would lose that hone
and expectation of, and longing for, the
untried and inexperienced things in life.
From the imaginative and anticipated
joys of life we would fall to dull, sta
tionary realities, and with Alexander
weep because opportunities for pursuit
were gone.
Differences in religions make Church
work more Jealous and effective and
family relations more sacred. They in
cite torivalry and emulation, beget pride
i'll achievement and shame for debase-
ment in the eyes of their rivals. Each
takes special interest in assisting the
poor who are specially related to them,
enlightening the ignorant, and in looking
specially after those who but for those
organizations would be without care and
beyond the reach of general charity.
And now we come to the only I'M
pleasant reflections on the workings of
differences among men. If they could
exist without envy and operate without
malice, and if charity-a much more
effective element-could be substituted
for them Earring, shackly, rickety and
complicated machinery would be con-
verted into well adjusted, smooth run
ming and harmonious system, attractive,
tolerant and reformatory. All associa-
lions of individuals for mutual, moral or
religious improvement are but different
departments in the same designs, some
doing different work. If the movements
of such associations are such that men,
Der has to keep as far from its borders
as possible to keep from sharing COLI
sions with others, many will be deferred
from joining, and if driven to the center
they will be too impartial to endure idle
controversies about non-essentials and
envious discussions of other associations
towards whom they themselves entertain
none but the most charitable sentiments.
So it would not seem to be as useful to
deplore those differences which always
have and always will exist amonr men