The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-07-14
FAITH IN OUR FELLow-MEN.


FAITH IN OUR FELLoW-MEN.
The bilious type OF individual who
distrusts nearly everybody else is EN-
tirely too common fer the good OF the
country. You can hear him walking in
The store or office. on the street, in
fact. almost anywhere, and always the
burden OF his song is the same There
are no honest men in public life, in
business, in the professions or in any
industry and the whole social fabric
Is rotten, as seen by his jauudiced
eyes People of his own political
party or religious sect may claim a
measure of his confidence but even
among these he finds many whose
motives he suspects. and as for those
whose views don't jibe with his own,
they are bound to be crooks and hypo-
critics
II he is among those who have been
fortunate In accumulatiDg comfort
able supply of this worlds goods, he
Is apt to find no honesty. sincerity or
lQftinesss Of purpose among the lead
ers OF the labor class--they are all
shiftless. no-count fellows who are
seeking to get something for nothing.
if he belongs to the less favored class,
the captains OF industry" and all cf
their kind are little better than brl.
gands On men in public life this
bilious individual looks down with dis
dain-all of them are corrupt and
are mere pelf-seekers
In the midst of the mournful chorus
OF this misguided class of fellows, it
is refreshing to listen to the voice of
one who has faith in his fellow-men.
Such a man is Or. Lyman Abbott. one
OF the grandest characters in America
For over fifty years Or. Abbott has
been a preacher and social reforme.,
prominent in moulding the thought of
his generation He is a thinker and
scholar and knows America probably
as well as any man OF this time. He
has recently been writing Of his own
life and in the following paragraphs
he records his faith in his fellow-meu
DR. Abbott writes
II have faith in my fellow-men. /
believe in their honesty of purpose and
their competency of judgment. have
seen them take up great questions Of
national policy, one after another and
ueoide them Alright, sometimes over.
riding their leaders in so doing They
have endured four years of terrible
self-sacrifice in order TO preserve the
nation intac; and set II free from
bondage they have given away mil.
lions OF acres of their lands to for
eigr immigrants who promised 20
dwell upon and cultivate them, recog-
aizing the truth that the wealth of
nation consists not in its soil. but in
its people; they have denied them.
selves the right to purchase their
goods in the cheapest market that
they might make America an indus
trially Independent nation: they have
voted to pay the nations debts IN
gold when. without breaking the let.
ter of their bond, they could have
saved millions of dollars by paying
them in silver; they have taxed them
selves year after year for an expen-
sive system OF public education be
eause they recognize the value to the
nation of brain power in its humblexsl
and fowliest citizens: theyfhave voted1
to carry on war for the succor of
feeble neighbor and have brushed
aside impatiently the protests alike
Df materialists. who argued that it ala
not pay. and OF timid idealists who
feared that it would convert the re.
public into an empire; they have per.
reived the perils of the country in a
growing plutocracy. and have entered
On the task of bringing tine aristoc-
raey of wealth under the control OF a
OF industry.
- have been personally though nos
intimately acquainted with eight pres
fsfss.t, tss: soldier s 6, t.ss;
Garfield. the orator:
cleveland, the administrator; McKin-