The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-03
WORLD IS ADVANCING
TO GREATER IDEALS
DIR. X. B. Topper, OF Philadelphia,
Talks on Pessimism Versus
Optimism.
TY OFTEN IGNORED
Speaker Holds Out Bright Side OF
Life Declaring That Even European
War VIII Help Make Humans
Happier.


three greatest Presidents the United
States has ever had. The other two
are George Washington and Abra ham
Lincoln" said DR.. *. B. Upper, of
Philadelphia, in lecture on "Optim-
ism versus Pessimism." delivered at
Grace-Street Baptist Church Monday
night. DIR, Topper spoke for over
an hour, but his audience enjoyed
every word OF his lecture.
Beginning with the recitation of
several beautiful verses from famous
poets on the Joyousness of life, Dr.
Tupper went at his subject with
great logic, mingled with timely
humorous incidents which kept his
hearers in laughter But the lecture
was not given to humor. 1t was the
evident result of much study and
thought and was replete with history
and modern sociological events.
Theodore Roosevelt will have to
be reckoned with Said the speaker,
''as he 10 a great man and "A man with
large influence. Don't think Colonel
Roosevelt will not be heard from at
the Chicago convention. Mr. Roose-
welt, talking with me several days be-
fore I left Philadelphia. made one
statement-and he is famous for
making some rather strong state
ments at times--in which he declared
that the world had accompl ished
more in education and science in the
past one hundred years than it has
accomplished in the past six thou
sand years"
We Pass the Glorious.
I'VE pass the bright and glorious
things of life without notice and
pause to see the ugly.things," he said.
II wish that | could run a chain of
newspapers from coast to coast, for
sxt, This ia 7 1fka
to run them. l would published the
fact that 10000 bank cashiers in this
country have served faithfully for
twenty five years without a single
defalcation. would publish the
fact that 5000. 900 laboring men have
kept sober I would publish the fact
that II .000. 600 men, women and chill
dren have ridden in autos and trains.
without being hurt. / would publish
the fact that 2o.o0o,00o married
couples In the United states were not
divorced the past week: that they are
still living together and are standing
each other yet. / would print the
news that 100. 900, 900 Americans have
not committed suicide. would Jay
that millions OF men can see where
one man is blind.
There are more honest men than
rascals Honesty is natural to men.
tt6SG6lltS Is dpi1pi maj IL L cAAttS nv
one pays particular attention. but il
| stand in the door Of my hotel and
weep. every one pauses to look at
nv sorrow The wheel of fortune
suffers from 4 punctnred tire to the
dark visioned man. The pessimist 10
never happy unless ne Is miserable.
Pessimism In Children.
Even in children the disposition
TO be pessimistic is natural to some
49, .xsoS tclA hIr
teacher TO face the North.
Now she said, Johnny, II the
North faces you and the East is
on YOUR right and the West on your
left. what is that behind youT
"T told ma somebody's see that
patch In my pants, sobbed Johnny,
the pessmism in his nature getting
the best of him. forgetting the beal-
tiful land of flowers IN the South and
rear of him.
Even in this war there is bright
side We see the wonderful work of
the Red Cross; the abolition OF Vodka
the worst of drinks. in Russia: the
French burning in public the leaves
of the plant from which Absinthe is
made. the freedom of the Jews, who
never before had a fair deal in
Europe.
. II prophecy two things in Europe
as result OF inns "dI. t'fiS 10 kilS
advancement OF Democracy: the
other religious freedom.
I'VE are spending millions to prose-
cute crime and TO buy liquor. I turn
to McCauley and read those famous
lines In which he declares that IN
less America he true to her ideals
she. too, will follow in the footsteps
of ancient Greece and Rome, and be-
come a decadent nation.
The Smallpox of Life.
When Robert Louis Stephenson
was given a copy of Zola's works to
read he threw 1t on the floor. exclatm-
ing. I do not read that mans writ
ings. He depicts life only with the
smallpox
Take a new born elephant, or an
elephant of the present day, and he Is
no different from the elephant of
ancient days. 1t is the same with
other animals. Only man progresses.
Our day is blessed in things
physical If we could step into the
world one hundred years ago. what
would we think of world without
trains. telephones, bicycles, automo-
hfles or the many other wonderful
inventions we have today. We can