The Dolores star., 1905-04-21
Formation Of Character.
RALEIGH r. WHITE.

RALEIGH n. WHITE.
am induced to write this article
from having read Of ...The Tannhauser
story in Wagner's great opera" in
which the writer snid .'T'here is moth
ing arbitrary in the laws of character"
The word arbitrary is defined as s'de-
pendent on will or discretion; not gov
erned by sny fixed rules; as an arbitra-
ry decision"
In the formation of character that
man is dependent ON will or discfesion
all will admit. This proves that men
nre governed by fixed, arbitrary laws,
In forming correct, or incorrect decis-
IONS The infiexible laws that govern
will form the character Those who
yield to temptation will reap the re-
ward Of evil, while those who shun
wrong will accumulate power that
promotes rectitude. In the kingdom
Of mental power If men yield to degrad-
ing thought no strength will be found
to cultivate the role to be and to do,
and thereby they will undermine in
spiration aud hope to master self that
lead to duties Of a noble life. There is
no fog AROUND the truth that sin is sin,
and virtue is virtue. The mist that
hides the truth clusters around the
stand point occupied by the observer.
He looks through smoked glass in
vain for hope In the formation of good
character because arbitrary law Is ig-
nored, which law says In an autocrat-
ic way that this must be done with
generous tenderness because all that
governs moral science insists that 1t is
right; and that must be avoided because
there Is nothing In it capable Of leading
to those things which are highest and
best. He who passes through life
without realizing there is an mate vi
tality In every man that demands at
tention to guide into proper thought,
word and action, demanding support
by an earnest purpose to cultivate with
a strong hand the beauty aud power
found in truth will make fatal mis-
take and finally fall into the grotto dug
by his neglect. We live in glittering
world and refreshing breeze of action;
and to know what duty is and how to
perform 1t is indispensable to success.
Obedience is not only arbitrary, but it
is the proof of innocence, while disobe-
dience spurns law and is self-evident of
guilt
d.
In looking into the social conditions
of those in the ditch ofpoverty and dis
pair the law of duty must be observed
in order to clear outskirts. What does
this law say? .Behold the hire of the
lahorers who have reaped down your
fields, which is. of yore kept back by
fraud, crieth, (" does not this law mean
that the hours Of work shall not be
burdensome to men women and chill
dren, does it not refur to the exorbitant
prices in trade exacted by combina-
ton of process as ina syndicate? The
rigidity of a pure law concerning the
necessity of restraint amonga civilized
people certainly demand that such
things should he stamped out. l have
referred to these things as Tainted" in
fiuences that corrupt our social and
economic condition in order to point to
the necessity of arbitrary law in build
ing a character that will be approved |
by men of wisdom when investigated
by the demand of moral law. AS there
can be no safety in the policy of a gov
ernment that does not protect the life,
labor, health, and happiness of the
poorer classes from the oppression and
tyranny of usurpation of the stronger
and wealthier class, SO no hope can be
found for the character of the growing
generation If it be denied that "obedi-
ence is the essence of law" in produe-
ing pure and useful manhood. 1t Is
not saying too much to insist that the
government, the churches, the home,
aud our social condition should look |
into the problem of character, in all the
ervironments that surround the young
Of our country that the curse of invirll-
ity may not be fcuAd in growing gem
erati0ns. !