Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-04-30
ignorance.

w udb 10 ikaotohSO ~ 10
sense? Is it merely lack of such knowl-
edge as is found in the schools? don't
think so. 1t is lack of knowledge in all
things pertaining to perfect manhood
and perfect womanhood; in all those
things that go to make up a moral COM
munity, Christian neighbOrhood from
the a, b, abs, to the Golden Rule.
How much book knowledge must be
crowded into a man before it may be
properly said of him that he is out of the
backwoods of ignorance into the open
country of the living Graces; out of the
foggy lowlands of superstition on to the
and blameless life?
He who can neither read nor write is
set down as an ignorant man. And it ia
to be admitted that his literary attain
ments are rather limited; yet another
may be we'll versed in all the knowledge
ACQUIRED in the schools, and still be
possessed of a greater density of igno.
rance than be who staggers at the alpha.
bet, for he may never have acquired even
the rudimeuts of honesty, and the differ,
ence between mine and thine floors him,
which is criminal ignorance, and dark.
or type than his who founders at the
alphabet.
Our country has a surplus of just such
lettered ignOramuses, whose &C
complishments are as filthy rags. No
matter how smoothly man may polish
himself with Murray and Quackenbos,
or rub his brains with an algebraic brick,
| if the elements of manhood are lacking
you might swap him off for HOttentO1
and make good trade.
NV impression is that ignorance Is the
DEVILS best card, and with it he can
euchre the world. 1t is the pet instru
ment on which he plays any time thai
pleaseth him, and down through all the
ages since Adam, what sorry figure the
human race has cut, keeping step anG
beating time to the birthstone majesty
music. Ignorance is the mother of vice,
breeding children as filth breeds mag
COTS. Ignorance claims and holds by
right of possession the greater part o.
mankind to-day. A vast substratum o.
ignorance Is underlying, out OF which
grows evil, and that continually. 1t is
soil peculiarly adapted to the growth o
evil. Its roots run deep and suck W
nourishment from the black muck O
ignorance. II is its home element, tn
| land of its birth, its own native air, ant
why shouldn't it flourish like secont
hand scandal, like an oft told lie!
What was it but the densest Ignorance
of the Southern people, played upon b,
LEADERS who were themselves 80 densel,
ignorant of the rights of man, that per
petrated the practical joke of the slave
holders rebellion, filling the land wit
clamor, with blood, with violence an
death, digging graves for half million
and leaving a debt that has long bee
heavy on the masses? Rum didn't do II
Slavery didn't do it. The primal caus
of it all lay just back of that. 1t wa
blind and british ignorance of the right
of man.
Ignorance lighted the fires around th
singing martyrs, and ignorance crucifie
the Lord from Heaven. You may sui
stitute "bigotry" here if you deem it
more fitting word. 1t is iu,materi'
which; but choose to take my ''cue
, from our Savior's last prayer: "Fathe
, forgive them, for they know not wins
they do"
. May it truthfully be said that the pei
. pie In this country lack knowledge
the dark and damnable doings of Il
rum fiend in our land? Practically 81
at least we, even az professed temperant
Q men, are not fully enlightened. tt
Q public conscience il not trained ar
, educated up to that point where it CT
o say: "Down with the traffic in the SOU
= of mem" That Is the kind of knowledl
J, that Is needed-an education set on d
with zeal-a zeal according to know
z edge. This is q conflict that will new
r be ended by shooting off arecracke
!, here and there, by filibustering, bus
whacking, guerilla warfare. It will Of
in victory only through united, organ
n cd effort, by companies. regiments, b
)! gades, divisions and sober congress.
When the friends Of temperance sh
}. fulfill the conditions Of victory, then v
tory will come, and never till then. A
~ 1t IL 80 in every other reform. VIII
= the world fulfills the conditions OF sal'
ton, then the angels may "Ring the be
Of Heaven" for world redeemed.
Of JOHN
Buckflald.