Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-22
ON INDEPENDENCE
Commandant of Fort Crook Gives
Views on Correct Thinking.
MUST KEEP MIND OUT OF A RUT
Courage an Moral Life Fcostered by
Use of Continual Practice of High
Initiative, Timidity Re-
suIt of Incidence.

Ore OF the most noteworthy addresses
ever given at the Omaha Young Mems
Christian association was delivered yester-
day afternoon by Colonel Cornelius Gardi-
ner. commandant OF Fort Crook, to an
audience considerably larger than the aver
age at the Sunday afternoon meetings.
Colonel Gardeners theme was 'The INDIE
pendent Thinker In the course Of a
scholarly address, which showed that the
speaker himself has practised what he adj
v~ocates, Colonel Gardiner said:
LET ne first explain what I mean by
an independent thinker. He is a person
whose constant effort through life has been
to get at the true facts of every case
coming under his observation uninfluencsd
by his own relations thereto and who can
as easily decide against as for himself. He
has carefully guarded himself from falling
in love with his own opinions. because they
were his. and from allowing his mind TO
begin running in a groove. This running
of a mind in a groove or rut is suicidal to
all independent thinking. True, It is much
easier to accept the ~ready-made conclu-
sions of others than to exert upon the
problem ones own thinking powers.
I'VE see daily many people who never
think for themselves, but accept for them
selves as theirs such opinions upon current
events as the first book or newspaper
which they read furnishes them with.
These are most often adopted in toto and
defended with a zeal having all the APP
p%earance of originality of conception. In
this respect civilized man is divided into
three classes. In the first class are the
worlds original thinkers, one of ten thou
sand at present, perfectly sane. unbiased,
| Y.n Arz4,lta,a .n-zIA 80 a.l,l,- H-~.I
lens IS they appear and coming to correct
conclusions-the truth seeker, the super
man.
Secondhand Thinkers.
After one of the before mentioned class
has correctly thought out the problem and
published it TO the world we nave the
million in the second class, who immedi-
ately say, Yes. that is right; 1 told you
So And their opinions are then formed
accordingly. This is the great respectable
reading public.
Last we have those who never think
seriously upon any subject and never form
an opinion one way or the other perma-
nently, nor do the great world problems
Interest them. This is the great mass
which can be swayed hither and thither by
any wind that blows
The independent thinker, after arriving
at the truth of a thing, should be fearless
to express II. He is often a man who,
Ike Elijah, is accused OF troubling Israel
by such as are the beneficiaries ofaexisting
wrongful conditions. He is seldom APP
preciated In his day ard generation.
1T is sometimes commended that courage
is wholly a matter OF temperament; that
the brave inherit their bravery and the
timid their timldity. and that. therefore,
the former deserves no credit and the lat
ter no blame. But, like other virtues, Il lie
due only in part to heredity. We come
into the world. not with full quail.
ties, but with tendencies In various direc-
lions. These are continually being modi-
fled by the influences that surround us;
some are strengthened, some weakened.
Courage a Matter OF Growth.
Courage, like the rest. is capable OF
growth or OF decay. II may be fostered by
exercise. or withered by neglect Every
time we rise 20 the occasion. banishlns
mental Incidence. oonquering obstacles, re-
straining unworthy desires. accomplishing
what is difficult, choosing the higher mo.
tive instead Of the lower. sacrifiSlng incltn.
alton. when it conflicts with reason, trans
lating into action the best that We know