Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-12-22

Dositivism which denies everything It
cannot see or touch. for to wish that
man should be absorbed Ia mnterial
sensations, to the exclusion of the high
realities OF the inner life, IL also want
OF good sense. Here we touch upon II
tender point, round which the greatest
battles of humanity are waglng. In
truth, we nre striving to attain con
ception OF life, searching 1t out nmid
countless obscurlties and grlcfs, and
everything that touches upon spiritual
realities becomes day by day more
painful. In the midst of the grave
perplcxities and transient disorders
that accompany great crises of thought
II seems moro difficult than ever to os-
cape with any simple principles Yet
necessity itself comes to our MD, as 1t
has done for the men of all times. The
programme Of life Is terribly simple
nfter all, and In the fact that existence
80 imperlously forces herself upon us
she gives us notice TINT she precedes
any idea of her which we may make
for ourselves and that no one can put
Off living pending nm attempt to under
stand life. Our PHILOSOPHERS, our OK
plantations, our beliefs, are everywhere
confronted by facts, and these facts.
prodiglous, irrefutablc, call III to order
rcnsonings and would walt to net until
we have ended philosophlzlng. 1t IL
this happy necessity Tint prevents the
world from stopping while man ques-
lions his route. Travellers OF n day,
we are carried along In II vast move
ment to which we are called upon to
contribute, but which we have not fore
seen nor embraced In its entirety nor
penetrated AZ to lts ultimate aims,
Our part ~ to al faithfully the role of
private, which has devolved upon us,
and our thought should adapt Itself to
the situation. DO not say that we live
In more trying times than our ances-
tors, for things seen from afnr nre Of
ten seen imperfcctly. 1t IL, moreover,
scarcely gracious To complain of not
having been born In the days of ones
grandfather.
What We may believe least contesta-
BILE on the subject IL this: From the be-
ginning of the world II has been hnrd
to see clearly; right thinking has been
difficult everywhere and always. In
the matter the ancients were IN no
wise privileged above the moderns, and
II might be added that there IL no DIFF
ference between men when they are
considered from this point of Wow.
Master and servant, teacher and learn
or, writer and artisan, discern truth mt
the same cost. The light that humanity
acquires In advancing IL no doubt Of
tho greatest USE but II also multiplles
the number and extent of human prob
lens. The difficulty IL never removed;
the mind always encounters Its obstn
Gle. The unknown controls us and
hens us In on MI sides. But Just ns
ono need not exhaust spring to
quench his thirst, 30 we need not know
everything to live. Humanity lives and
always hns lived on certain elemental
provisions
We will try to point them out. First
OF nll. humanity lives by confidence. In
no doing It but reflects, commensurate
with Its conscious thought that which
Ia the hidden source OF all beings. An
imperturbable faith In tho stability Of
the universe and Its intelligent order
Ing sleeps In everything that exists.
Tho flowers, the trees, tho beasts of tho
field, live In calm strength, In entire Sc
AZ. nt,h
Ing rain, in dawnIng day, In the brook
running to the sea. Everything that
In seems to say: II am, therefore |
should be. There nrc good reasons Tor
this. rest assured"
So, too, mankind lives by confidence.
From the simple fact TINT he Is man
has within him the sufficient reason for
his hclng-n pledge Of assurance. lie
reposcs In tho power which has wlllod
that he should be To safeguard this
confidence, to see that nothing dlscon-
ccrts II, 10 cultivate II, render II more
personal, more evident toward this
should tend the first effort of our
thought All that nugmcnts confidence
within us is good for from confidence
il born the life without haste tranquil
energy calm action. the love OF life
and Its fruitful labor, Deep seated con.
idencc Is the mysterious spring that
sets In motion the energy within us. II
Is our nutrlment by II man lives much
moro than by the bread he eats. And
30 everything TINT shakes this conf.
dence IL evil-polson, not food.
Dangerous IL every system Of thought
that attacks the very fnet of life, dc
clnring II TO be an evil. Life has beer
too often wrongly estimated In this
century. What wonder that the tree
withers when It's roots are wntercd
with corrosives. And there IL nm OK
tremely simple reflection that might
be made In the fnee OF all this mega
ton You say life ia nm evil. Well
what remedy for II do you offer2 Car
you combat II. suppress IL? ! do not
ask you to suppress your own life. tc
commit su!cide-of what advantage
would that be to us?-but TO suppress