The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1900-06-15
VTFWs d A MARREp MAN.
A GoOdiand Han Comes 20 the Front on
the Question Of Love With
Force and Reason.
To the Editor Of The Republic:

there appeared an editorial entitled,
do Men Lover" in which the state
ment vas made that alove takes no
account Of brains or character Hav-
ing, myself, been brought to task for
inclininR to your belief, which viii
doubtless meet with some opposition,
candidly submit the following thoughts
to sustain the proposition, that love
takes no account Of brains or character.
Since to prove that love takes no
account Of character, which is the
more difficult as between "brains" and
character" let the word, brains, be
omitted, and the argument conferred
more directly upon the proposition as
amended, that "love takes no account
Of character"
Love taken in the sense here meant,
may be defined as that feeling Of affec-
ton which exists between members Of
the opposite sex, while character is
that sum of moral qualities or attri-
butes which distinguishes one person
from another.
Love is instructive. Dumb brutes
viii lay down their lives for their Of
spring. Parents love their children,
and it matters not, as far as parental
affection is concerned, how far a son or
a daughter may be sunk in the arts of
hell, the fathers and mothers love
shows no shadow Of turning. Does
love take any account Of character
here? Assuredly not. So, too, is it
with flial affection.
Mankind loves a supreme being be-
cause it is natural to him, and only to
the end Of religions eodificatiOn vas it
necessary that We should be 0Om-
manded to love; We would adore him
anyway, not even taking into account
his justice and perfection, for not later
than the days Of the Hellenic suppre-
macy, did the Greeks themselves invest
the Gods with injustice, passion and
envy. The Greeks then even loved
the gods whom they thought to be as
fraiI and changeable as they-character
disregarded. Christ laid down his life
because he loved all men. Does anyone
think be died for the good only?
The elements Of the same love which
has been spoken Of obtains also be-
tween members Of opposite sex, though
generally more acute. Love itself
knows no i'll; it is a divine inspiration,
but like all good, it has attendant evils
which are no part Of it nevertheless.
Love necessarily adds to character, but
does not know what character is.
That love Is blind to the faults Of the
object of its devotion is proverbial.
The book of Proverbs says at the tenth
chapter and twelfth verse: Love
coverth all sins" Time and again have
both men and women forgiven offenses
committed against them, which are
objectionable in the sight Of reason.
There are, within the reading ex-
perience of every individual, instances
which corroborate this side Of the
question, and multiplication is not
necessary.
The perplexity of this whole question
becomes lucid when you allow the idea
of graduation to come in. As every
living thing has its particular niche in
the scale of organisms, so the -chaTac-
tiers Of all men through their own ten
denotes and actions, gradate to their
true positions.
Birds Of a feather flock together, is a
true saying, and by this means Of ma
tural association, every character has a
specific value, and will generally be
found among that of its kind. Hence,
it is not necessary that love should
take character into account, for under
this condition, love, embodied in a
noble life will have a noble field to act
in, and an inferior life, an inferior field.
Cultivate character and love will take
care Of itself.
The following syllOgisms also aid this
view Of the matter:
That which is instructive in the
human race is not a product Of the
reasoning faculty. Love is instructive
in mankind. Therefore, love cannot
know character, since character is
known only through the process Of
reasoning.
Man is not and cannot be held re-
sponsible for that which he is neither
the author and oyer which he has no
control Man is neither the author,
nor has he any control OF love. There
fore, he is not responsible for the OPP
erations Of love in him, though It goes
out to q greatly inferior character
That which is subject to the law Of
affinity must act accordingly. Love is
based on affinity. Therefore, love must
act By affinity and not BY rational
choice, since to act from choice would
not be a motive Of nature.-Msrried
Man.