St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-08-03
Communicated.
A Good Thing to Have.

/ In all animal life there is nothing
more essential to the well being of the
animal than good, healthy spinal col
umn. From the reptile that slides on its
belly, all the way up to man, the physi.
cal existence and activity Of the animal
depends wholly and solely on a well
developed spinal column. This chain
OF vertebre, with its spinal chord, is
improved in its development exactly in
the same ratio that the intellect has
made progress in its Development.
The very lowest form of animal life,
such as the ameba, the sponge, the
hydra, the jelly fish, all have no spinal
column nor blood circulation. These
animals are truly specimens of the ami
NAL kingdom, and as such are part of
Gods creation as much so. as man.
What, then, is the difference? Man is
a higher animal, and this difference,
whatev er it may be, is what keeps him
from being classed with one of these
very low forms of animal life.
Man has the circulation of blood, the
Ave senses, the nervous system, the
brain, with it's different faculties, ETC.,
and the highly active and sensitive
"backbone. This lifts him above this.
low form. With the exception of the
power of speech and the claim for the
soul, such lower animals as the dog
and cat have all the organs that man
has. Look for moment at the differ
ence between these two familiar ami
mails and human beings. II these ami
mails had the spinal column as highly
developed as it is in man, they would
no doubt walk on only two feet and
carry the body erect. Imagine our
horses, COWS, dogs, and all other do
mestic animals, carrying their bodies
erect on the hind feet. No one will
doubt for a minute that th6y could do
it, If they had the proper amount of
BACKBONE. No wonder the term car
ries so much with it, for we readily I'M
derstand that "baekbone" m q s
Observation-Disclosures. The physical
meaning has very aptly carried over
with it moral meaning ina figure of
speech, so that to have backbone"
means to have straight and upright
ness of character; ability to keep
straight and not be swerved and turned
by the opinions of others. This char
acteristic bears with it success in al.
most all undertakings, because it
enables the person to have the courage
of conviction for the right. It is pity
on that man who has no conviction
of character, no ideal, no determine
ton whatever in life; but 1t is double
pity on the fellow who knows the right,
who sees the best thing to do, who is
in sight OF the goal, but fears the voice
of the rabbIe, breads the attack of the
critic, shrinks at the sight of the bosses.
He will in the end be able to sum up
his career as weak and worthless, I'M
less quite early in life he can cultivate
the growth of healthy spinal chord,
and produce reasonably sufficient
backbone"
Examine the lives Of great men, and
you will soon see that they have always
stood for something. They have been
found on ONE side of every issue, not
on both sides.
Have they had enemies?t Yes; but
they have been strong enough to fight
their opponents and win out in life's
battle; for they have possessed, in a
m arked degree, this one thing needful. |
Too often we hear the remark: "That |
man is all right, but he will not do to |
tie TO- You can't rely on him. lie is
'wlshy- washy.'" II we could help |
out such men to secure the proper es-
TEEN of their neighbors, we might do
It by showing them that good thing to
have on hand at all times is good |
supply of BACKBONE.
C. A. MATHEWS.