Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-03
A FEW SUNDAY THOUGHTS


stage of development necessarily at
tended by upheavals and strife and
battle cry, and-to use a WELCOMED
expression-"brain storms"
We are building great cities and great
railroads and successful farms. We are
also causing the deserts to blossom and
the valleys to give out their abund-
ance. In larger measure we are like
wise fighting for the best movable
condition Of personal liberty and polit-
ical freedom.
During the past few months the Los
Angeles newspapers have been fully oc-
cupied with arguments favoring a gi-
gantic water supply, the completion Of
great outfall sewer, the construction
of a tunnel system Of electric railways
to the beaches, the consolidation or
merger Of cities, the division of the
state, the reform of municipal govern
ment and arrangements for the recep-
tion of more than 100000 guests between
now and August. Everybody is discuss
ing these questions and each is con-
sidered so important t. our future well
fare that we have even neglected to
talk about the glories and beauties of
our southern climate and the marvel
Gus upbuilding of the city of Los An
geles.
But all these questions are destined
to be settled soon and settled right.
Rome wasn't bull in a day." nor is
any other great municipality or popu-
lated country. Out of the stress and
storm of mental conflict are born ma
terial progress and intellectual peace.
Without the fight there would be no
victory, and without laurels there
would be no perfume.
Our socialistic friends are prone to
dream of an existence where there will
be no strifes, no -'-- ~gles no conse-
quential labor, no need of great cities
and no desire for wealth. But there
wouldn't be any happiness in it. The
man or woman with nothing to do that
he was compelled to do would early
get sick of his job. It's the man
who delves and fights and works and
accomplishes something who is the
happy man-provided only that he is
an honest man. It's a queer dream
this prevalent idea, of a day when a
nan may not labor more than two
hours a day, and then only for his own
sustenance, and that the remainder
of his time may be devoted to music
or painting or poetry or inquiry into
the sciences. 1t seems the most base
less and inexcusable imagining that
there shall be no struggle because there
will be nothing to struggle for, and that
all men will have nothing, and nothing
compulsory to do, in equal parts, share
and share alike.
Such condition would be unthink-
able and unnatural. We know not
whence we came, nor where we are GO
ing. We are simply here as a forceful
part of that vast eternity of mind and
matter out of which a destiny of some
sort is being worked by great struggle
Only out of storm and cyclone and
earthquake and giant upheavals have
the worlds been made, and these strifes
of nature will continue, with respites,
until the end. Only out of groans and
travails and tolls are those tntelligences
created which make for themselves
happiness, and for the world more
abundant appreciation of living.
We speak glibly of the eternal sun
shine of Southern California, when if
this were literally a fact few persons
would be pleased to live Lere. We en-
joy the long periods of sunshine be-
cause they follow inevitably the occa-
sional periods of rain and chill and dis
comfort. We appreciate the long peri
DDS of warmth because of the intense |
cold we have passed throu n elsewhere, |
but we'd soon tire of that warmth if
it were not occasionally interrupted by
the winds from the sea.
So, amid these fights of ours for life, |
liberty and the pursuit o'' happiness, |
we are merely working out he destiny
of the ages, le natural plans of
achievement through struggle and ef-
fort and joy and sorrow and smiles and
tears.
It's a good maxim: "Don't worry"
It's also a good maxim: Don't work
and struggle all the time" Give some
of your hours to play and don't get
excited if everything doesn't come out
right at the first trial. In the marvel
GUS development oc Los Angeles and
Southern California wonders have al
ready been accomplished, not by fight
ing and struggling all the time, but by
persistently renewing the battles at
the proper times.
All these problems of ours are being
slowly but surely solved. We shall win
those victories which in the natural
order of things we should win, as the
logical result of intelligent applica-
tion, while the battles we lose will
be well lost if only we have acquired
more patience and kindliness and
brotherly love.
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