The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-07-07
More About
WiIIpower
Erid Comes to the Front with a
Scientific EIucidation Sup
ported by Adductions.
Paper Read Before the Chautauquo C7reis:

Paper Read Before the Chautauqp,a Cireis:
In presenting to u, gentlemen,
my views an d opinions regarding
this subject | am forcibly reminded
by general adductions expressed by
others concerning thi subject, as
well as by prevalent ideas and theo-
ries, that we are considering mat
ter of deep significance, of fan, reach
ing interest, t o educated, cultured
persons, a subject capable Of subtle
conclusions being vanced to
strengthen the power of perso
whose knowledge of general matters
exceeds that of persons possessing
plastic minds all too ready to be guild
ed by conflicting impressions; and a
subject concerning which individual
thought, ideas and experience enable
one to derive conclusions which others
may totally repudiate as absurd no
tions.
You may remember the newspaper
accounts of a young authoress-
French-who sat beneath tree wait
ing for the sun to cause the shadow
of the tree to be cast at certain
place and when the shadow was so
cast she raised pistol 20 her head
and fired with suicidal intent. The
first time she tried this plan the bull
let grazed her head and the quick ar
rival Of others prevented her from
carrying out her plan of selfdestruc-
tion. However, under the same cir
cumstances she later ended her life.
AT the time this sad incident occurred
and the newspapers disseminated the
details | IN e interested in the
willpower of individuals. In t b is
case many see nothing more than in
those frequently related accounts of
suicides of sons. But to me it
seems to contain an indefinable some
thing-an attribute of individual Or
distinctive quality that gui e
person sufficiently to enable one to
overcome temptations and is there
fore commonly accepted, or consider
ed, as willpower.
Opposed to the willpower Of in
dividuals as logically appears is an
other attribute that we may consider,
the evil quality. Those two attri-
butes are constantly at war with each
other and may truly be said to be
the greatest forces conceivable in
man-the evil quality of mentality
opposed to the willpower.
The incident referred to above, as
well as insanity and the mental con-
dition of a fugitive from the law, in
dicate that the evil attribute has
bickered willpower until tn power
OF will becomes too weakened to re-
sist dictates of evil. In the cases of
suicide death ends the mental war
fare. In cases of fugitives from JUS
tice surrender or capture causes
mental relief that gives the willpow-
er its proper ascendeney over other
mental qualities. In cases of insan-
ity the evil quality takes ascendency
and pitiable consequences result.
In view thereof we are reminded
of the Biblical saying: Confess ye
one to another that We may be saved"
Such an idea is far truer than per-
son may, at random thought realize.
Had the young authoress referred to
b e, confessed her delusionary
ideas to another she might have been
still among the living-and others
who followed her example also.
Many persons are driven insane by
wee, small conscience. In addition
to such examples as t b foregoing,
thousands of authors departed d
living, have confded secrets h
bickered conscience, to the world in
stories of accepted fiction, thereby
relieving their minds and strength
ening the willpower.
In these instances we see the force