The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1908-05-05

nave tfeuhehuOuS respect Tor n
thing they call Precedent.
Precedent is merely the way
things have been done before, the
way their grandfathers and their
great grandfathers and SO on as far
back as far as history has been re-
corded. have been dong them. And
the little men who do not think for
themselves fancy that because a
thing has been done certain way
for thousand years that must be
the right way to do it.
In the old world precedent taught
that no sailor mustexplore the I'M
known sea TO the West lest his snip
be swallowed up by strange and
terrible CT eatures supposed to exist
there.
When Columbus suggested that
precedent was merely a foolish
superstition, and that if he sailed
straight on aIonnd the world he
could reach India, he gave all his
friends SILVER Of horror.
But Columbus had a practicable
mind. He used current knowledge
of the wealth of India IN his argu-
ments. He pointed out that if he
could reach India he might be able
to put most of It's gold in his ships
and bring it back to Europe. Thus
he arose the avarce of greedy
government and then avarice gets
into competitor with superstition,
supertition is destined to defeat.
SO Columbus was fitted out with
fleet by Ferdinand and Isabella,
the Spanish rulers, and his return
from this newly discovered country
which he, to his death believed was
India, was another staggering blow
to precedent. Since the time of
Columbus death all the really
great things that have been accom-
plished by human race has been
without precedent.
But they have, neverless, been
great actual accomplishments. and
they have made the difference be-
tween our civilization of today, i'm
perfect as it is, and the savagery
and barbarity of other days.
Religion is no less the great
world today than it was in the tune
Of the InQuisation, although our a.
abandonment of the practice of burn
ing doubters at the stake is unprece-
dented, or was unprecedented in
Calvin's days.
Invention which he's made much
of the material progress of the world
and supplied the poor of to day
comforts unknown to the rich of a
few centuries ago, has had a contin-
Gus and heroic battle with the idea
that whatever WAS was right.
JusT now precedent is more firmly
intrenched in the law than ELSEWHERE
But even IN the courts and law
offices men are beginning to di-cov-
er that because certain rulings have
beeD Uncovered since the day of
Blackstone they are not necessarily
the best rulings that can be made.
A few years ago any legislation for
the good of humanity was looked
upon with a disfavor. Today TIE
National Congress is discussing the
necessity of abolishing child labor
and although precedent is still vic
tonous over that great reform, il
cannot remain so always.
There are many customs, many
laws that are centuries old that sill
stand to day, end will stand for all
time.
No law gIver Of ancient or mod
ern times has been able to improve
upon the Ten Commandments as the
perfect rule of life. No philosopher
sage has been able to supply sub
stitute for the wisdom al d grace OF
of the beautiful Sermon on the
Mo mt But the fear that any new
thing can not be good because it
happens to be unprecedented re-
tards the progress of the race today
as it has retarded it since mel FIRST
began to use their minds to think.
1t is important that any young
man beginning life should know
what has been done by those who
have gone before him, and how il
has been done. But he must Learn
to consider whether what has beer
done has been done well, especially
whether 10 has been 50 well that il