The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-07-21
THE MONO MAN

HE NV-iVV MAN
About the first erown-up talk a
baby learns is "No-no. After while
the baby may learn to say Papa"
and "Ma-ma." but the first phrase of
which it knows the meaning is No
no. y If you have youngster in the
house it will pay you. just as a mat
ter of curiosity, too keep count of how
many times you say "No-no" every
day.
Some times one says it for the baby g
good and then it is all right. but just
as often the sharp e Mono raps out
because baby has disturbed ones sover-
eign comfort and peace Of mind.
Usually the crosser the tone, the more
the prohibition has to do with your
own comfort and the less with the
baby's.
Now the success of the baby's life
is going to depend upon how we'll it
learns to mind the lesson of "No no"
and how moderately it learns to use
the Mono" power over others. All
our laws are .'No-no's" and the
nearer upright q man is the less
the prohibitions of the law affect
him. 1t is not very hard for the
Christian TO keep the most of the
ten commandments and the law
against horse stealing has few ter
rors for the msjority Of US.
The first thing the baby has to
learn then, is Respect for Lew.
If the lesson i, we'll learned, what
a lot Of spankings are escaped in baby
hood and what host Of Bullets are
lodged in after life.
The second lesson is temperance in
the use Of /" No-no.,' There are in
temperate laws as we'll az incorporate
men. Not many centuries ago it was
a hanging offense to steal a shilling
in Merge Olde England. just the
other day Russian soldier was logged
for petty theft. until. with the blood
running from his back and crazed by
the agony. he struck down the officer
in charge, wounded two of the attend
ants and then buried the wet. warn,
crimsoned blade in his own hearts
blood Some way our symp athy is all
with the soldier, for the law was in-
temperate. Treat men like brutes and
you must expect them to act like
brutes. The Gagged tiger covers BIZ
fore the WHO. but beware the moment
WREN the keepers eye shall finch.
when Tire hand shall hesitate and the
human WHY fail to dominate.
The babe reaches her hand towards
the =h6m strive. she disregards the
Mono andner burned fingers tell
her that that law was good one
She will respect that law thereafter.
The baby sings. Mono !" Why? TIE
reason does not appeal. Other people
sing. there is no harm in singing, the
prohibition is q selfish one. the baby
learns her first lesson in Disrespect
for Law.
Much of the happiness of mankind
depends upon his respect for law. but
the laws must be such as to command
respect The man who violates the
laws of nature mist pay the penalty.
The laws uf the Medss and Persiane
we're mia, vacillating things, con :
pared to Natures Laws You ms
pray about them and deny them but
you cannot get away from them. When
the Omnipotent One enacted the laws
of the Universe he did so with q
wisdom and foresight which makes
amendments and tinkerings unneces.
sary and to ask Him to reverse anc
repeal his laws to cure your corn OF
remove your headache lists 70 li.h
as it is contemptuous Of Diyiaity. 1t
is only the bad, selfish laws which
need repeal. Only human laws.
The mistake of two many lsgi i :
tures is io trying to pass laws which
are intended to make other people CO: :
form to set ideals, not because viola
tin of the law would be bad, but be-
cause it would be displeasing to the
Legislators.
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