The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-02-28
TIE REASON OF THINGS
All Men Should Cultivate the Habit
Of Mental Research


Ecclesiastes 7:25-I turned about,
and my heart was set to know and to
search out, and to seek wisdom and
the reason of things.
A year or two ago | listened to an
address before a body of college stu
dents in which the distinguished
speaker laid detailed and striking en-
phasis upon the life of serious thought
and honest reflection. At first blush
it mighe seem as if he were misftting
the occasion, performing a work of
supererogation, what we sty'e in col
loqual metaphor, carrying Goals to
Newcastle. For he was not congratu-
lating the body of young men as re-
representatives. of that section of socie-
ty which does deal of thinking, but
rather exhorting them to see to it
that they do a deal Of thinking,
that they took account of the facts
and opened their minds to great is
sues. Where, you might ask, are men
to be found who appreciate that the
needful thing is to think, if not in
the academic world? But on further
consideration it seemed to be not a
misapplied lesson. AS the speaker
developed his interesting address, !
for one was impressed that the most
of us, in college or out, men Of letters
and of the cultured professions per
haps quite as much as the men of
handcrafts and laborious physical toll,
need to think a lot more than we do,
to get the habit of calm and sober
and serious consideration, especially
to seek the reason of things.
We need to make a careful distinc-
ton in the beginning in order to a
right approach to our theme. Some
one has remarked that he is very
foolish man who wants to pry too
much into the reason of things That
is obvious, but how much is too
much?" And then. again, what
things? We are indeed credulous
folk if we imagine that everything
can be explained But am very sure
the average person errs rather in not
trying to understand what Is explain
able. We are too easily content with
half reasons, and we jump at conclu
sions that are not so because We dc
not think. What passes for diagnosis
and judgment in many vital concerns
| Is the merest guesswork and specula
ton. We have a very common illus
| tration in the sphere Of politics anC
economics. Every other man on the
street thinks that he knows just what
is the matter with business or what
is wrong with the country. But he
probably does not know at all. He
may hit near the mark by accident
he hasn't really thought il out ant
come to a logically reasoned conclus
ion. Blame of the president, or thu
folly of the party in legislative power
or the radicalism of reform leaders
or something else which may be
symptom of some vital trouble but II
not the trouble ITSELF about which
even the expert students of govern
ment and finance are not sure or il
agreement, is a quick and voluble rea
son put forth by unthinking citizens
But of course this morning our lin
itation of theme relates to matters o
faith and morals The most dogmati
people in the world here are apt 4
be the most ignorant. ! am not dc
preciating positiveness, mind you;
is a great virtue, this Of being pos
tive. And in the region OF spirtua
experience II is the people who ar
able TO say - know" that have IN
fuence and the power of convlncin
and persuading other people Blu
q there is a dogmatism which just rest
, on ignorance. little later we sha
return to some illustration of this.
q Again, there is this to say in nal
rowing our theme within proper lin
its. There is an asking of the que'
; ton "Why?" that is foolishness itsel
refer to the Interpretation Of the 81
called Providences of life or its mis-
chances. Here are two friends-the
start upon the voyage OF life wit
equally favoring breezes and the pro-
pect of reaching happy harbor. Blu
presently the seas are rolling heavil
!, for the one, there is shipwreok or tn
threat OF It, headwinds, sad buffeting
and storms all along the course Their
seems to be scarcely a day when ther
is freedom from anxiety. fear strain
: With the other, the skies are fair an
: the waves are not unkind. The We
sci that carried this soul-let us sa,
the vessel of the home, or OF the o
cupation, laden with It's rich carg
: has a prosperous voyage and swinl
l. into port at the end OF the calculate
; days as all did wish and hope an
!, pray. Both souls were equally pre-
ious and deserving. Life has gone
, with one and we'll with the other WI
shall be so stupid as to ask why? n
, mind can ever know why. II Is wit
in the mystery and wisdom OF the d
l. vine ordering in which faith say
: every mans life Is a plan OF Go
y Likewise our Questionings about be
: eavements and the particular suffe
J. lngs of very good people. Why W,
my child taken away2 Why does /
y sanity character have to endul
u such pains? We sometimes hei
! such interrogatlons fiercely thrown
{ God or plaintively poured into
Il sympathetic ear But they are q
=, hAtA No VI NllAhirHuinHt VI AHt NUAulU
u ing heart, however much we may fe
), for our unhappy friends. This is NJ
u to say there are not sometimes vel
4 clear reasons for the evil and sorro
that come into human lives. A your
!, woman has been warned against ma
u riage with a dissipated man. Fami
u and friends, II may be, have pied wi
u her, but she chooses OF her own w
q and takes the risk. Whether the sh
u wreck come soon or late, Il can
y explained by anyone who occupies
=, detached and judicial position /
u member In a community I'm which
v lived as boy the death succeedll
G. death Of beautiful family OF siste
e was spoken of by some of the relll
y GUS people as mysterious pro-
"a dence. But the physician who disco
lN nraI Tho HnmtnHF.I ttva...tt.... -. 4