Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-04-13
REACHING THE INDIVIDUAL.

that one OF the chief points when II
has been repeatedly urging upon the
attention of those who were laboring
to make the world "A better place was
by Doctor Gordon In ms
talk at Convention han during his
visit to this city "The way to touch
the crowd Is to win the one man
we are here TO change the world by
changing the individual" This Is
one Of Tho Worlds hobbies, II we
may call 1t by name that has come
to be not exactly flattcring, and II
has protested often and perslstently
that the way to make people good
was by the personal appeal to the IN
dividual. and not, as the majority or
so-calIcd rcformcrs would have us
do, by taking mctaphorical cIuD TO
the masses or seeking by legislation
to compel an observance Of prin-
ciplcs that did not fit the convictions
OF the citizenship. While 1t Is one OF
the cardinal principles Of our system
of government that the minority
should submit to the will OF the ma
iority. II was not intended that one
man should be empowered to reg
ulato the private conduct of another
except I'm cases where the common
good of all might be imperled by
such conduct. Ignoring this phase of
human rights and democratic prin-
ciplcs, n great many people have
sought to find means to compel their
fellow beings to eat, drink, sleep.
walk and dress according to some
universal rule which they conceived
To he proper. In olden times this
tyrannical tendency OF those in power
was manifested by means of the
stake, the rack and the guillotine;
nowadays the same results are sought
through legislation or through social
and religious ostracism. The intent
remains the same -- the contention
that those who have settled upon n
certain prescription for recttudc
have the right to make their fellows
subscribe To the same opinion, If not
In mind at least in deed.
In contrast to this restriction OF
human liberty of thought and action
we recommend Doctor Gordon's pre-
scription for the reformation of hui
manity-train your persuasive guns
on the individual citizen. and If you
can convert him in sufficient mum.
bers the job of peacefully revolution
i2ing human sentiment Is accom-
Ilished, and ii Is u much more thor
ough and effective job than II yol
had passed multitude of rostrictiv,
and burdonsomc laws-laws which
by their very nature arouse the re
sentiment OF those they were aimee
to restrict and encourage secre
contempt for ana disobedience OF al
laws Just ns child who believe,
he has been unjustly punished lose:
to large extent his respect for par
entail authority. so the grownup mar
will, when compelled to do thai
which his conscience and his judg
ment cannot approve, learn to lool
upon the law and its agents rs ty
rants To be cVadcd when possible an,
resisted when they cannot be evadcd
1t is much better. II this world il
rot bull, to suit your ideas, to e,
about quietly spreading your par
tiCular brand OF gosp,l and making
converts of as many individuals n
, possible. instead OF trying to rcEulat
their conduct and beliefs by whole
sale, tor the latter course is boun
TO do your cause more harm thai
good.
In line with this same thought
81 let MS refer to the words of Bisho
l oUayle of the Methodist church, VIII
warns his preachers TO beware of IN
temptation to indulge In "crusadcs.
The effect OF "crusadng" is chief
$ to stir Up the fifth and muddy tn
l waters until real principles and tru
70 conditions are obscured by the CON
motion. The crusader. in the firs
place, takes the attitude that he
right and tho rest OF the worl
- wrong, which very attitude puts hii
outside the pale OF human sympath
-. and puts the barrier between hii
, and the minds Of those he wishes I
reach. The bishop says that niue
more good is accomplished by III
steady preaching of the unadultel
ated truth and of living daily a III
that gives evidence of the reliahilit
, of your creed and its efficacy for in
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