The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-01-19
Present-Day Thoughts.
By IN EMO"

iHOu4llI. we DOdSI dDOuJ III dLlu
regard it as precious heritage from
the fathers who fought for it, but to
what extent do we understand it? Pos
sibly great deal, as far as we our
selves are concerned Our ideas go
soaring away in this direction and in
that until we are thrilled with rejoic-
ing at being able to think on great
subjects and puzzle out great plans
for ourselves and the world around
us. But when is relates to the other
man, with thoughts at variance from
our own, then where is our gloring in
freedom ] tell you tyranny turks
very near to great hearts; for they are
on fire with enthusiasm and, a. ,eelz-l
centrated in their efforts that they
cannot brook the idea OF there being
any side but their side to a question.
Yet surely one mans right TO think
carries with it the right for all to
think and to think unhinderedly.
The way to down error of thought is
not by denying it the right to exist,
but by treating it with sweet reason
ableness. Thought never did harm
to any land. 1t is like measles, harm
less if allowed on the surface but ex-
ceedingly dangerous if forced to ''set
in" The man whose freedom to
think as he chooses is denied him, has
within him a seed of revolution and
the last end of the repressor is worse
than the first. Instead of less free
dom let us have more Of it, particular
~ in our great cities, and thus many
Il nOXiOus influence will be made
harmless because Of its freedom, and
because its strength is not aroused by
opposition. Martyrs to restrained
thought are dangerous storm centres
:: :; X
Real Culture-Culture of the head
alone is disastrous in it's effects, it eth
er makes a man a mere scrap-bag of
odds and ends of knowledge, or Il sup
erciliOus cur who looks down on the
rest of us as Philistines and outcasts,
or it turns man into a ponderous
nuisance who needs must air knowl-
edge and awe listeners on every DOS
sible occasion. You know all three
kinds-sO do |. There is in my mem
ory at this moment the picture of an
awkard lout who by reason OF college
education knows the most extraordj.
nary details about languages, ancient
and modern, but cannot succeed in
doing anying higher that addresses
for pittance ofless than So per week.
That other sort of fellow is in every
town. a little more bOOkish than his
neighbors, by reason perhaps of the
I shOrt-sleeved father who spoiled a
man and made fool when he denied
himself to give the lad a crust of edu-
cation. Since the fatal day when
the boy was lead to think OF himself
as little superior to the plow- boy he
left behind, he has made culture an
offence to the nostrils of those who
have an infinitely better quality than
miles of book knowledge-heat knowl-
edge which goes so much further than
dead language in the storm and stress
and trials of life. The noisy, posi-
tive, disputatious character who has
read much, remember much, learned
little is also familiar to all of us. Real
culture is of head and 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
characterized old Ben njamin Franklin,
who won his way by gentle courtesy
and by diplomatic behavior toward
those who differed from him. Useless
knowledge makes no friends. over
bearing knowledge follows no fields
for future cultivation. Real culture
carries a man above the pettiness, the
jealiousies and the disputing of lower
planes of thought, and lifts him up to
where the view is broad and where he
can see that there are two sides to
things.
X y x
Standard OF Measure. How full of
splendid records this world would be
if all were measured by their own
inner feeling of worth and of merit.
But alas. there are, as a humorous
philosopher has expressed it. three
John Smiths-John Smith as he