The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-05-09

and moral symmetry to speech and be-
/ havior.
|, myself, have explored the may
labyrinth of doubt, and | am bitterly
familiar with its shadows. There is
not a single abiding human interest,
be it personal, or national, education
al, economic, religious, political, or
what not, but has during my life,
manacled my very soul in the gloomy
mist of fearful, fearful uncertainty.
| got tangled long ago on the sub
ject of religion. l read all l could get
against religion in effort to reason hell
out of existence, thereby battling
with shadows" in trying to dam up
or turn aside the eternal stream of
effects which flow from a Great First
Cause | read the whole misty. con-
jectural assumptions of our simian
origin. Gradually I began to form a
sort of substantial acquaintance with
myself, and | saw at once that my
skepticism was in no wise based upon
my literary, historic or scientific learn
ing: but that it was only the Tester
ing ferment which seethed by the mix
ture of personal vanity, acting in a de-
structive union with inherent depravi-
ty. Then l began to see that the
clergy are neither simpletons nor
hypocrites. | got fixed, and for sever
al years have felt weird interest in
the street corner philosopher who per-
sonates only an animated lump Of
hazy uncertainty. He always appeals
to my sympathies, he is, even to min
utest deail. my former self.
Then | became doubtful as to the
sacredness of the family tie. Like
Rousseau, I regarded mankind as only
a superior breed of biped cattle. But
| watched the loose and the orderly
in family life, and l got on to another
high certainty, and that is that a dis
solution, or even a slackening of the
sacred regard in which the family is
held by all upright people, always re.
suits in character wreckage.
Then by reading Spencer on educa-
ton, with an addition of some of the
notions of the French writer's, decid-
ed that a mans animal wants are the
primal and direct basis of an educa-
tional curriculum. But l soon noted
that when the new education" so
called, which in short, subordinates
the soul to the belly, began to show
the churches emptier. Then | got GER
tain on education. 1t leads to crime and
degraded life ideals. when industrial
training dominates the mental and
moral in training.
Then | found myself riding the crest
and wallowing in the billowy trough
of doubt on some great political is.
sues. Tariff and money were to me, a
sphinx riddle. But the Oedipus of re
suits came along and solved the prob
lem for me. saw that it is only men
tai step so to speak, from statutory
tariff against foreign people to the or
ganization of numberless clubs, socie
ties, fraternities, whose food for exis
tence is not the wish to grow fat al
the expense of starving foreigners, but
to play the game of keeps with the
nearest neighbor in case his calling
be different from our own.
Then I got certain on the tariff.
saw that it had caused the spirit OF
. national patriotism to segregate into
all sorts of separate and secret socie
ties, establishing, in fact, many petty
nations in one, so far as interest, sym
pathy and fidelity are concerned.
Then | grouped for several years
through the dark shades of the cur
rency question. But taking final eff
fects as reliable basis of my creed 81
this issue learned that Thomas Jeff
: erson, while a truly great Statesman
on most questions and issues, was DAT
as to how to maintain a reliable ma
Il tional currency. | looked back on tn,
administrative epilepsy of Andrew
! Jackson while president and saw tina
he knew about as much of nationa
needs as regards national money, as
jay bird knows about grand opera
Then | got right on currency.
Incidentally. learned in studying
all these matters that |. myself, woul'
be loser if | tried to prosper at tn
misfortune of others; and became hon
est and inSf hv tho Shnnr fnrnn nf IN