The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-05-12
Prisoners
Philosophy
An Able Thesis by Mr.. D. NJ, Who
Maintains That Brains Count
In Any One.


Maintains That Brains Count
In Any One.
Child of the futures doubtful night,
Whate'er your speech, whos'er your
sires,
Sing while you may with frank de-
light
The song your hour inspires.
This verse has for me peculiar
significance. What odds whether you
be the offspring of monarch or
peddler. The knowledge you pos
sessed at birth equaled b a of the
greatest scholar at b e same period.
| Advancement is matter of individual
effort. Wealth, prestige and envi-
ronment are advantages but of no
! avail if individual effort be lacking.
Ignorance is the only bar to progress,
and to surmount it means labor, not the
labor of day, month, or year,
but unceasing. see no reason for
shame in ignorance that h a had no
opportunity for enlightenment. n
what respect is he better, who cram
med with lore accomplishes nothing,
than one who knowing nothing, ac-
complishes the same? A man may
have memorized whole works of lit
erature, be acquainted with every
rule formulated by genius, but until
he has proved himself capable of ap-
plyine them to some work of his own
/ creation, he remains but receptacle
for the knowledge of others.
Acquaintance with the work Q t
: another is barren, useless posses
/, sion until it becomes the basis of our
J. own efforts and resolves. The man of
+? education, that is, the man acquainted
:, with numerous scholastic formulas,
|! is oftendeficientin in e ducated thoughts.
h Great a poet as Shakespeare was,
great sculptor as Michael Angelo
e was, and as great man as Lincoln
/ was, they were b human. Is it pre-
It sumptive then of any member OF their
Y race to aspire to their level? | think
p not, but rather am | of the opinion
d that only through such aspiration,
d can we realize the toll and suffering
/ by which greatness is attained.
IS What odds where knowledge be ac-
e ouired. what matter whether your
cradle was rocked by Royalty or,by
the wind. you were not responsible.
The highbrow. whose head is bulged
with water. is not one whit better than
YOU. so long as his work, in compar-
ison. h ow no greater proficiency.
It is not case of what ou + parents
III were if they were goodones. That was
* to our advantage; if otherwise, it leaves
usadisadvantage to overcome. Sing
or while You may with frank delight. /"
IS Do you catch the drift ofthese words.
Youneed not construe them literally.
In factthere are circumstances under
.e which such construction would be
nc improper, but harmony is the thing
ay desired--freedom from morbldlty
from petty thoughts wasted III depre
is ciation of others, and consequently
ler ourselves.
OH You cannot drift upward any more
,p. than debris can float against the cur
rent of stream. To rise we mus
work in that direction W ith ever,
~ faculty exercised to its utmost, TO
,as that is the only way to develop. Ol
80 if we wish we may become f1accl'
- and decline. The choice is ours en-
: tirely. You will meet obstructlo
should you choose the former. Me
with the dispositions OF petty tyrant
will endeavor to impede your pre-
DRESS. Give the man such as they tn
go-by for there are plenty OF bette
men eager to render assistance whe
ers you need it. The song your hear
re- inspire will accord with the though
OBJ YOU indulge. Either it will be;
un- pleasant as the caro- of lark on
,ry, Summer morning, or as disquietlI
ent- as the hoot Of night bird.
an What about it? There are tu
i'm sides to every question, and we kno
une it. butthe fault is we permit ourselv
to be influenced by prejudice. az
[. lContinlled ,n column this pogc)