The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-24
SOME THINGS
and OTHER THINGS


He who knows does not believe. For
you know faith is conviction of
things not SEEM" but the end of philos-
ophy is to know you must believe in
order to mentally grow.
We know that mathematics is held to
be infallible in its conclusions. Every
philosopher-all assume to be philos-
ophers- starts in his reasoning from
the postulate that 2x2-4, but nobody
can say why it is true. Plato regarded
mathematics Az the only true science,
but he who says A in algebra, -trigo-
nometry or integral calculus must say
B, because all mathematics is based
upon faith-axioms. l must believe
without real proof in order to reach
other conclusions. Physics treats of
forces, but no man can tell US what
force is. Astronomy is based upon
gravitation, but gravitation is not de-
fined. The big man comes along and
talks about botany, zoology, biology
and physiology, all treating OF life, but
this life-force is still a mystery to him.
But when we say to half-baked thinkers
God is back of it all, they say There Is
no God" am sure that the signs OF
God in the world are more abundant
and more convincing than any Of the
foundations of science we accept SO
freely.
The seven world riddles have been
designated as follows: The nature OF
matter and force; the origin of motion;
the origin of life; the intentional fitness
of the arrangements of things; the
enigma Of consciousness; reasoning
thought and the origin of language, anC
the seventh one is that of free will
Now reader, can you, with all your
understanding, solve any one of the
seven?
Standing down on the banks of Big
Creek few days ago, saw number
of boys bathing. We may remember
the tyranny of other days-how clothe:
were hidden, knots tied in shirt sleeves
mud thrown on the first one out, the
brutal duckings. but perhaps young lif'
is at its most hilarious moments in tht
"Old Swimmin' Hole" One of the
Joy moments of life is when DO!
knows he can swim. To swim, to float
to dive from the spring board, to bring
stones from the bottom, to get hi
back sun-burned, and to go home anC
get hckin' from ma because h
would rather swim than to pull weed
out of the caters" but to know h
could thread water" swim dog-fashiol
and yell-well it was glory for him. Til
fond memories of the "Old Swimmin
Hole" will be among the sweetest o
childhood. Every town or neighbor
hood should have such place for all
and when we learn to think more of lif
than dollars, such place of joy will b
provided.
War during all the centuries past ha
been the worlds luxury. Some in
dividuals have their yachts, some thei
automobiles, some their books, an,
some their bad habits; but luxurie
they must have. But the world spend
its surplus in war. If l kill man
avenge a personal wrong am mur
derer, but when / and million other
- Is E..
national insult, that is military science
A modern battle ship will cost $4,000,
900 and is ready for the junk pile il
twenty years, but we gladly pay tn
price; but if we endow college wit
$500, 900 that is extravaganza. If GU
nation would spend the money for oil
age pensions, build hospitals, libraries
art museums, parks, and raise tn
salaries for mail carriers, that it spend
for its military support we would be
thousand times better off.
For centuries men have boosted O
the greatness of war. The idea is
man is great who kills somebody. On
of these days we will come to our econ
Omic senses, and the world will be with
out bombs to blow people to pieces
without AZ centimeters to wreck cities
without submarines to sink food ship
and without aeroplanes to sow distruc
ton, but will spend our money to pre-
long life, destroy dens of vice, drai
swamps, and make the people happy
Soldiers will be gone, misery gone
when we come to our senses.
In these late years the good Amer
can has learned that politics is some
thing more than oratory, torch-ligI
professions, shouting and whooping
up for the party. He doubts the ma
who uses the public trust as a privat
asset. He does not know just what h
wants, but he is against the old ordel