The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-04-07
The Power Of Personal Influence
Of Scottish Rite Bodies in Davenport,
Iowa, March 26-29 Inclusive

The only responsibility that man
cannot evade in this life is the one
he thinks of least-his personal in
fluence. Mans conscious influence,
when he is on dress parade, when he
is posing to impress those around
hints woefully small But his I'M
conscious influence, the silent, subtle
radiation OF his personality, the effect
Of his words and acts, the trifles he
never considers is tremendous.
Every moment of life he is changing
to a degree the life of the whole
world. Every man has an atmosphere
which Is affecting every other. So
silent and unconsciously is this in
fluence working that man may forget
that 1t exists.
All the forces of Nature heat,
light, electricity and gravitation-are
silent and invisible. We never see
them; we only know that they exist
by seeing the effects they produce.
In all Nature the wonders of the
seen are dwarfed into insignificance
when compared with the majesty and
glory Of the unseen. The great sun
itself does not supply enough heat
and light to sustain animal and
vegetable life On the earth. We are
dependent for nearly half Of our ligh,
and heat upon the stars, and the
greater part OF this supply of life.
giving energy comes from invisible
stars, millions of miles from the
earth. In thousand ways Nature
constantly seeks to lead men to a
keener and deeper realization OF the
power and the wonder OF the invisi.
BILE.
Into the hands of every individual
Is given marvellous power for good
or for evil-the silent, unconscious
unseen influence of his life. This
is simply the constant radiation OF
what man really is, not what he
pretends to be. Every man by his
mere living is radiating sympathy, OF
sorrow or morbidness, or cynicism
or happiness, or hope, or any OF a
hundred other qualities. Life is a
state OF constant radiation and alb
sorption; to exist is to radiate; to exist
is to be the recipient OF radiations
There are men and women whose
presence seems to radiate sunshine
cheer and optimism. You feel Gained
and rested and restored in momen,
to new and stronger faith in hui
manity. There are others who focus
in an instant all your latent disgust
morbidness and rebellion against
life. Without knowing why, yor
| chafe and fret in their presence
You lose your bearings on life and 1t.
problems. Your moral compass j.
| disturbed and unsatisfactory. 1t |,
made untrue In an instant, as the
magnetic needle of ship Is DETECTED
when it passes near great mountain,
of iron ore.
There are men who float down the
served, unapproachable and -self-con
tanned. In their presence you invol
unfairly draw your wraps closer
around you, as you wonder who lief
the door open. These refrigerated
human beings have most depressing
| influence on all those who fall unde
| the spell of their radiated chilliness
But there are other natures, warm
helpful, genial, who are like the gul
stream. following their own course
/ flowing undaunted and undismaye'
in the ocean of colder waters. Thei
presence brings warmth and life ant
the glow of sunshine, the joyous
stimulating breath of spring.
! There are men who are like malai
ious swamps-poisonous, depressing
and weakening by their very presence
They make heavy, oppressive an
gloomy the atmosphere of their owl
homes the sound OF the children
play is stilled, the ripples of laughte
are frozen by their presence. The
go through life as if each day wer
new big funeral and they were a
; ways chief mourners. There are othe
men who seem like the ocean; the
are constantly bracing. stimulating
giving new draughts OF tonic life an
strength by their very presence.
There are men who are insincere I
heart and that insincerity is radiate
by their presence. They have
wondrous interest In your welfare
when they need you. They put on