The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-02
A New Idea.


where the guests were almost wholly
Harvard professors. Suddenly one of
these professors turned TO another and
asked: What is the most difficult feat
for the human mind?" After a mo-
ment or two of thought the other pro-
fessor replied: Il should say that the
most difficult feat for the mind to ac-
complish would be to comprehend an
absolutely new idea-one that was new
er presented to that mind before or
to any of his ancestors. The more
the editor has thought of that reply
and the more he has mingled with men
of the world, the more profoundly is
he impressed with its truth The man
who does it must have the scientific
spirit, that is, the desire TO arrive at
truth and follow ii wherever it leads,
laying aside all prejudice and ali lean
lngs for one side or the other. The
man who comes in contact with nature
most, who studies its mysteries, who
knows something of the endless va
rieties of plants that spring from the
same soil under apparently the same
conditions is most likely to be capable
OF understanding new idea concern
ing which he has no hereditary ten
dency. That may account for the fact
that the great fundamental principles,
upon which rests the defense of The
common people against the aggres-
siOns OF accumulated capital were
thought out by men who were in con-
slant contact with nature, the farmers,
and presented to the world in formu-
las concerning money, land and trans
portation.
1t may also account for the vaga-
ries that have been developed, all as
old as the hills, by those who seldom
came in contact with nature, which
go under the names of material;stic
conception of history economic de
terminism," and similar terms. That
is the doctrine of the ages Of long ago.
Nowhere in the Old Testament is there
any direct reference to future life for
man, or any existence outside Of mat
ter. The only passage that is ever
quoted from all the Hebrew scriptures
to indicate such an idea is the one in
Job where he says: And though alter
my Skin worms destroy this body, yet
in my flesh shall see Cod" That ref
erence is very doubtful The poem in
dicates that Job was afflicted with
sores and the very involved sentence,
conveys the idea that while lie worms
were eating his flesh away, yet in
flesh not in spirit he should stand
forth again on this earth, viniil ated.
When Christ came he preseE ted an
absolutely new idea, and mankind
have been hammering away at that
idea for nineteen centuries, while few,
if any, have ever been able 20 com
prehend it, although he iilusti ated it
in every imaginable way, including
scores of parallels told for the ex-
press purpose of conveying the idea to
the human mind.
Populists have encountered this off
flculty everywhere, in trying to i'm
press upon the people new ideas con-
corning money, land and transporta-
ton. The same difficulty is encoun-
tered in the contest that The indie
pendent has had with Mr. Client The
old statement--older than the book of
Job which is the oldest book in the
Bible-of materialism is readily com
pretended, but the other side not at ALL
None denies that a child raised among
Indians of the plains, though of the
purest white blood, will grow UP to be
an Indian in habits and language.
But an Indian child, taken in babyhood