The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1909-03-05
Edge:rton's
Farm.

| ...Farm.
lCopyright. 100. BY American Press Asso
citation. This matter must not be re
printed without special permission.l
Liberty.
A few centuries ago men sought th.
fountain Of youth" In all the corners
Of the earth they carried the vain
search and died without reaching the
goal. It was impossible that they
should have reached 1t, for II does no,
exlst-not in the outer world. Ye,
there is a fountain Of youth. It liz in
the spiritual. We need not go abroad
to seek 1t. Like the man who hunted
all around the world for a treasure
and returned to find it In his own door.
yard. 30 we may find the fountain OF
youth at home. 1t is within.
In like manner the knights Of old
made long and romantic quests for the
Holy Grail, yet the only Holy Grail they
really desired vas spiritual and was
to be found within themselves. Edo.
RADIO. heaven, all the Aidens and par
adises Of which we have dreamed. are
to be reached in this same mysterious
and we'll nigh undiscovered inner coun.
try
So, too, mankind in all times and
climes have wrought and fought for
Liberty. going to heights Of heroism
with her figure before their eyes and
dying with her name upon their lips.
New civilizations have been builded
and new nations fashioned in her i'm
age. Yet liberty. like the other ideal
states sought and never quite found. is
a spiritual thing.
I never realized this truth so fully as
in the past few days. l, too. have
loved Liberty, but l think l never knew
her completely until now. This is the
way l came to the knowledge. l had
given up all but one thing that held
me. At last l broke that chain also.
Then l was free. Now l would not
trade this freedom for all the world
has to give. OF course it does not de-
pend on any material thing at all. 1t
might be felt and known under any
sort Of material conditions whatsoever
or in a state entirely apart from the
material. 1t could be enjoyed in pris-
on, in the worst worldly tyranny. in
slavery OIL under the lash of physical
need. What. then. is it, Simply the
freedom from desire for anything tho
world can bestow. There must he no
reservations whatsoever. for. where
there are reservations there is bondage.
The only perfect liberty is in God. He
is the truth that, makes lis free.
In Il wild moment in the past ]
thought that death meant liberty. !
now know that deuth means nothing
at all. 1t is only = seeming thing. He
who is in bondage before death is in
bondage after death. He carries with
hira li: mind. md his mind is his
Only iailpl.
Just as the spiritual is the one thing:
that a bring liberty to the indivil-
ual. so 1t alone can bring liberty 10 the
static. So long as the people arc en-
shaved within themselves. so long will
they h" crsiayed Ia their external re-
lations. The inner condition will he
reflected in the outer. Corruption in
government argues corruption in the
body polite. Tyranny on the part o.
the ruler argues weakness on the part
of the ruled. They invite the despoti
imposition of a stronger will. II they
were sufficient In themselves to their
own government the outer form Of
tyranny could not exist for n day.
VT have come to the time for deal.
ing With real things. If we are to be
sincere We had just as well lie utter
ly sincere. Political. mental and in
dustrial liberty are the three great
goals to be reached in the world, blt
mono Of them can he gained till tho
4 Majority of men are free within them
selves. And men al never be free
within themselves till they strike CT.
their own inward chains. till the"
break the shackles Of false appetites
false desires. false beliefs. false preiu-
diccs. false personalities. They must
be utterly true. They must come to
the. final divine statement Of the law.
Of freedom. aspire to nothing the
world can give; aspire to all that God
can give"
Every good the world knows comes
from God, the origin Of good. There
Is no excellence and no power in tho
seeming. To think that there is con-
stltutes but an obsession of false be-
lief. The desire for wealth, fame.
place. power, sensation or the gratifi-
cation Of appetite other than for It's
function. all these are but obsessions.
demons that tear us, but have no real
power except in u own errors. Why
not open our eyes that we may see!
not know real liberty?