The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-15

And why beholdest thou the mote that
is in thy brothers eye, but considereth
| not the beam that is in thine own eye.
| st. Matthew VII :: 8.
These questioning words. in the pass
age quoted above, were among the ut
terances of Jesus Of Nazareth in his
famous sermon on the mount. They
set forth a condition which has exist
ed pretty generally in all of the habi-
tations of mankind since the world be-
gan. 1t is a failing of the savage and
the heather quite as much as it is that
of the civilized man and the Christian
to be forever looking for the mote that
is in a brothers eye and disregarding
the beam that is in their own. Some
persons are more fragrant offenders in
this respect than others. But it would
appear to be an almost universal hui
man weakness.
Much of the trouble and unpleasant
ness in all the walks of life is due
to it. There is no difficulty to find it
in the field of business; in all varieties
of social avocations; and, of late years,
in this country, at least, and probably
in every other one, it has occupied a
prominent place in political and pub
lie life. Reformers have sprung up on
every hand. They would reform the
methods of all businesses. They would
reform the many alleged shortcomings
of society. They would reform the pub
lie schools, the Sunday schools, and
even the churches, They would reform
politics and public affairs in every con-
ceivable and possible way to suit their
own whims and fancies.
No doubt there is a chance for the
reformation, the betterment in many
ways, Of all the activities of life. If
there were not the future of humanity
would be a dark and dismal one, for
all affairs of humans are far from be-
ing perfect nowadays. But the trou-
BILE is that the reformers, the profess
SIGNALS in this line, who are ever and
anon shouting their criticisms and
plans of reformation from the house
tops, are after all nothing but mere hui
man beings. although many of them
seem to fail to recognize that fact.
They have their own frailties and fol-
bles. And they pay no attention to
them No, indeed. It's the other fell
lows ways that they don't like, that
they insist on being changed. They
do not appear to be able to recognize
see the faults in others. SO they go
around minding other peoples bust
ness and stirring up what fuses they
can. They generally offer fine theoret-
ical but decidedly impractical plans for
the correction of the wrong-doing or
mistaken ideas of others which they
have discovered, or think they have.
They seldom accomplish much of any
thing, even if the chance or the power
to do so is placed in their hands.
If every man who sees faults in his
neighbor would stop for a minute, be
honest with himself and discover his
own shortcomings, and then try to cor
rect them. it would not be long before
many of the desirable reforms that are
being sought would be brought about
It's actually futile for a man to at
tempt to reform a fault in another,
if he suffers himself with the same
fault or a worse one, as is most al
ways the case. Like charity, reform
ing should begin at home. Then there
would be n great deal less hypocrisy
in the world. And that would be a
magnificent condition of affairs to pre-
vail.
As Christ said Immediately after he
had spoken the words quoted above:
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam
out of thine own eye; and then thou
shalt see clearly to cast out the mote
out of thy brothers. eye''