Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-07-22
Wonder Who's Riuht?

To the Editor. For more than a
year the Record-Herald has given one
page Of its Sunday edition to public
discussions OF all topics of interest to
the people. Thinking men and women
everywhere have seized the opportun.
ity thus given, and many and various
have been the opinions expressed
through its columns.
Shortly afterward 1t began the pub.
LEGATION of a series Of articles called
Answers by Experts" These arti.
cles were written by the best minds
OF the country, by men trained to
think, and whose opinions In their
special vacations are worthy of consid.
GRAFTON. The Batue Ground has slim.
ulated thought, which Is always com.
mendable, but 1t has made no material
gain, for I dare say no writer has
made a single convert. How about
Answers by Experts? Here is to be
found the best thought of the age, and
what do We find? A batch OF contra.
dictions.
A learned man with a number of
letters attached to his name has sup.
ported the doctrine Of evolution, an
other with an equal number of letters
tied to his name has upheld the bib.
lical account of creation. One has up.
held the divine inspiration of the Bi.
BILE, another equally learned has fatty
c~ontradicted him. One man recogniz-
es the supremacy OF mind to the ex.
clusion OF matter, another quotes the
Bible that God made man in His own
image. Some learned men believe In
miracles, while other learned men do
not.
Here are men Of the highest author.
ity fatty contradicting one another.
How In the name of common sense Is
ordinary men or women to know what
to believe? II is plainly evident that
learning. be 1t ever SO profound, can
not unravel the mystery OF life nor
reveal the future. The learned man
like the unlearned man takes things
for granted, but there is this differ
ence: When the learned CD sets his
stamp Of approval upon an assumed
truth the world is ready to accept 1t.
while the ~unlearned man, II he is ever
SO good a thinker, is accused of igno-
rance and ~infdelity If he dares have
an opinion contrary to the divine fiat
of intellect.
The word intellect" Is a very much
abused term. The man who rests
calmly upon the beliefs of his FORE
fathers without adding anything to
them is a parasite and a drag on civ
ilization, be he ever so learned and
eloquent, while the raw thinker whose
mind is responsive to W and larg.
er truths Is a powerful factor In the
upward progress of his race. Intel
lect and common sense are synony.
nous terms. and truly speaking we
cannot have n without the other.
No belief can hope to survive that
cannot stand the test OF common
sense. Why quote this or that author
ity in support OF a certain belief? Why
not apply ones own common sense?
It's less bother. and In ninety-nine
out of 100 cases is the more accurate.
There is nc stability in human beliefs
incapable OF actual demonstration.
Nations have fallen and their beliefs
with them. So long as the human
mind is growing and reaching out for
larger truths, we must expect change
in human beliefs. Surely this must
be apparent to every thinking being.
Then why so much fear In letting go OF
old creeds? All that Is true in the
different beliefs of mankind will abide
with us, and all that is false will be
cast of as a garment no longer of
use. Many OF our modern beliefs
must fade and die before mankind can
meet upon a common platform of love
and liberation. UNCONVENTIONAL forms
are barriers to progress and brother
ly love, and their inevitable doom is
death. All religious creeds will even.
tually simmer down to a few great
moral truths, applicable alike to all ma
tons and individuals.
Answers by Experts" gas us no
satisfaction. Opinions are not infal-
lible truths, and when we confront
facts or assertions whose proofs are
buried in oblivion or clothed in mys-
terry we are equally wise and equally
ignorant.
MRS. LOTTIk c. RUDMAN.
Heron Lake, MINI.