Evening journal., 1902-10-10
A AsrUDnNr or SOCIOLOGY

AsrUDENr OF SOCIOLOGY
Some persons in the endeayor TO be
profound are only yer'bose IN the ef-
fort to be witty are only banal, and
IN the desire to be eloquent are cmly
asinine. William Mi,hael Byrne may
know of such persons. Were Mr.
Byrne more honest. had be clearer
vision and a sense OF perspective, had
nIsaven blesaed him with a true sense
OF humcr, truer perceptions OF funda-
mental morality and wrought In his
system an impulse OF trtuhfulness, he
would have beCm an orator-and an
orRfor hs 10 not On the stage where
Mr. Byrne appeared as an orator the
other night the evening previous there
was q play in whicll there was a king
He had a dignihad strut, tlnsel crown
and a most impressive air. but he WAS
not a king; neither is Mr.. Hyrne an
We are glad that Mr. Byrne has
singled out the Evening Journal as The
subject CT his invective. Denunciation
from such men is the truest hattery.
In his latest speech in the elideavor to
be smart, in chesty tones he informed
his audience that he had been a stu
demt CT sociology. and remarked that
it was a big word and the Jourrnl
might not understand It Possibly.
but the journal understands Mr.. Byrne,
which Is more to the pcint- But, in
any care. we are informed now, and
consulting Webster we find this dea-
milton
Sociology: That branch o. Ihiloso-
ply which t1Nats OF the constitution,
phenomena, and development OF
human society; social science.
First. we observe that it is a branrh
Of philcpophy. and philosophy requires
a mind kept at an even temperature
It eliminates conclusions which have
been reached by injecting the factor Of
selhshness. One who trades his politi-
cal allegiance cannot be a philosopher,
and tine philosopher who has reached
the conclusion for which he holds the
price in his hands IS TO use a paradox
not philosopher.
But 10 contiuue. we and that soeiol-
ogy treats OF the constitution Of
human society. Now human society
rests upon inmate and general hon.
csty. Were all men rogu5s, did they
break faith with their fellow men as
a rule human society would instantly
fall TO pieces. Had not Moses received
the ten commandments. they would
have been formulated I'M substance by
human necessity. Society can stand
an occasional traitor. an occasional
liar. but should these grow too com.
mon. the structure would oumbll
about cur ears. Kent, in his commen
taries tells US that the primal and gen
eral impulse OF humanity is truth
telling. and the liar and special pleade
is only a perverted and abnormal off
shoot
New let US consider some Of tn
phenomena CT human society. w
shall nnd on a curscry examination
that as individuals we may te perveri
ed 50 may masses OF men coDstltutln
SrateH This peversion may NANTES
itself in various firms. Percharoe
runs into religious mania which lsaC
Snto wholesale persecut.on and ma
saSre. Or it may show itself in Il
form OF masses OF the people prostitu
ing tSmselves before a brazon imat
with Nollar in his hands. There a
cases wheAS great numbers Of men ra'
barteren thez liberitss for a slight CO..
sideration' an have hailed with a
claim their sso>er. There are il
stances Of unconT'Sed criminals Dol
orirz the very s2usc of society. Viii
thousands drink OF thN, ,oxlous strea