The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-29
MONTANA "REMINISCENCES.

Our venerable and esteemed towns man, Judge L. F, Munson, is the reel pient of marked honor in the shape of an invitation to be one of the chief speakers of the day in Helena, Monta- na, next 4th of July on an occasion of great interest in that state, viz, the dedication of Helena's new and beauti- full state capitol building. Judge Mum sons presence at the dedication is greatly desired, especially as he was the first United States judge of Monta- ma, Judge Munson was appointed judge of the district court of the terri tory of Montana by President Lincoln and held the position for several years. He presided over the first murder trial in Montana. Judge Munson has under consideration the subject of accepting the invitation to speak at Helena at the coming event.
 Tn looking over some of the old Mon- tana newspapers of the times when he was United States judge there MT Monson this week came across a copy of the Helena Gazette containing the judges address in full, delivered on Christmas eve, 1867, before the Sunday school taught in the district school room, Helena, Montana territory. The address was published at the request of the officers and patrons of the school. A selection from the very eloquent ad- dress in question is as follows:
 Having thus briefly alluded to the power of associated effort the necessity of union in heart and sentiment for the accomplishment of any great and laud- able design, let us now inquire into the nature and amount of parents infu- ence, and see if rightly directed it is capable of producing the desired result
 Our minds are so constituted, we are so effected with sympathetic feeling so strongly inclined to initiate whatever of good or evil we see around us, that even in the strength of our mature years, when our principles are formed our habits established and even old age upon us, it is impossible to resist the influence of those about us. We be- come nsensibly assimilated to them in thought, feeling and action. Our indi- viduality is partially lost by our inter course with others. We receive and impart impressions hour by hour and day by day, by which points of differ ence are gradually worn away. When an individual is for a long time disas- sociated from his companions and ac- quaintances he acquires peculiarities Of thought and manner which once were harsh and disagreeable. And when the population of any region is broken into little communities, separated from each other by the natural features of the country, you will find these Communl- ties differing from each other in habit and mode of living, but the inhabitants of each agreeing with themselves and initiating each other in evil as well as in good These principles of our na- ture render it impossible for any one to associate ordinarily with evil without being contaminated, or with purity and holiness without being made better by the intercourse.
 If these things are so, who can meas ure the amount of influence or the pow CT which parents hold to shape the des- tinies of their child. when for years It is almost as wholly confined to their ln- fuence as if they were the only beings in the universe beside itself; the light of their eye, the sun of it's system, and their circling arms the boundarles of ts little world. scarce can an idea enter tho mind ot child without being colored by the moral and intellectual nature of its parents. and long before the tongue can articulate does it's young heart respond to their emotions, blending it's little be- ing with theirs, and drinking in from the parental fountain the elements of it's future destiny. Parents too often are aware how early and with what rapid ity the formations of character are laid, nor how light cause may determine their fate. Whoever will carefully ob- serve the habits of a child will soon dis cover that it is often pondering with deep emotions and interest the import of matters thought to be far above their comprehension, and drawing con- clusions not unsuited to riper years.