Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-30


from the brain like bile from the liver /
or are they the manifestations OF an |
indwellinc, tho hidden, spirit? Al
this point science Is divided in two |
opposing camps Right here is the
battle-ground where materialisW
clashes with idcalsm.
As practical businessmen yon Will !
rot want me to dive into this meta
physical muddle Tho ] am sky
pilot, shall keep my feet on the
ground. To all purposes and intents
IL is sufficient to call this dialogue
what Is mind? No matter' What
Is matter? Never mind!' just as
Edison applies electricity without be-
ing able to-1efine 1t. we utilize ideas
without knowing what they are. Ideas
exist: that is the standing fact
They come to us like Mira beau to the
French parliament. with the bold an
nouncement: Here We are and here
we propose to stay and what are you
going to do about it?''
To me ideas are the most marvellous
thing in the world. Should an angel
from heaven visit our earth to take
back to heaven something worth while.
he might dive into the seas and admire
the precious pearls; he might dig into
our gold mines and discover the valu-
able ore; he might grow wildly enthu-
siastic over Tulsa oil wells-but he
would not stop there. The thing
worth taking TO heaven as an unfor-
gettable token of human grandeur is
the idea which rises from the brain
of man. Nothing to equal it in all the
resources of the universe.
Architects of Civilization.
Let's put this statement to test.
Destroy your great cities until the
last skyscraper has been leveled to the
dust and until of all material splen-
dor, erected by man, there is nothing
left but n heap of dust AS long as
man retains ideas, they will spring
back into life as if by magic. Blu. de
prive the brain of thot and all civil
iZation will crumble never to be re-
built Ideas are the soul of things
without them civilization is a mere
shadow; with them the wilderness will
become n land of promise. over the
chaos of prim6val times Moses put
an idea as God puts a star on dark
sky. He said Let there be light He
furnished "a key to the labyrinth of
creation. The ancient prophets
SCANNED the abyss of Hebrew captivity
with an overarching thot 1t is ex-
pressed In the one word Hope. The
Roman empire was held together by
an idea: Organization. Grecian cul-
ture owes it's vitality to another idea:
Eeauty. The Christ--idea shines like
n sun in the sky of mankind. We call
il the golden rule. Paul raised the
Roman empire out OF it's hinges by an
idea. He proclaimed the brotherhood
of man. America was called into lire
by the idea of liberty. The French
revolution followed an idea: Equality.
The United States abandons the policy
of watchful waiting and dons uni
form, because of thrilling idea The
world must be made safe for de-
mocracy" All nations look forward
to a sNution of their problems In an
idea: Fraternity AS each night has
its star, so each period of human de-
velopment has It's leading idea.
Dynamite and powder are not halt as
explosive as vital thot.
Here is Newton and falling apple.
Add an idea and you have the law oil
eravitation. Here is James Watt ana
a tea-kettle. Add an idea and you
have the steam engine. Here Is froe-
bel and a little child. Add an idea
and you have the kindergarten. Here
is Roentgen and ray OF light. Auu
an idea and you revolutionize sur
gerry. Here is Burbank and the thorny
cactus. Add an idea and you feed
million cattle. Here is Maroon an
the currents in the air. Add an idea
Francisco TO Paris.
Is life worth while? Some think the
world is a fragrant forget-me-not on
the bosom Of infinite love. Some think
IL is a lemon. What makes the vast
difference between pessimism and OPP
timism? That big, little something we
call an idea. 1t has been said that
man II what he eats. But tell you
that man is what he thinks. Rossini
has q golden wreath put on his brow
at the five hundredth rendition OF
"William Tell" and grumbles: I'D
gladly give it for a moment of real
happiness" Dante is driven into exile
and writes from his lonely travels:
"Everywhere | can behold the stars
and mediate on the glories of God
One had everything that money could
buy and was near the brink of despair.
The other had not where to lay his
head and writes inspiring poems.
What Is the difference? Ideas' Ideas
are the magic wand that can trun
the common earth into fairyland of
blessing. Ideas are the pail that you
can throw over the roses of paradise
until they are a bed of thorns.
| would rather have a few things
and ideas that can make them worth
while than n great many things and
no ideas to make them enjoyable. Ma
terially we are limited. Rockefeller
may buy million beds. but he can
only sleep in one. He can possess un-
told wealth. but the capacity of his
stomach is strictly limited. But
Shakespeare, this glutton of ideas. can
devour past, present and future in his
brain. He can climb the heavens and
fathom the seas. He can write fifty
tragedies and say; II have only
b.gun." Ideas are the surest treasure
we have The humblest home is made
a palace by the idea of gratitude. The
richest palace Is II dungeon when
ideas are dead.
Ideas AMI Ideals.
As the leaf develops into the flower,
so ideas, as they broaden. become
ideas. When man was half-human
and half-animal, he conceived the
idea Of the erect posture For the
uuadruped to become a biped is no
easy matter. Bat considering the
present price of shoes the change was
most desirable. How came II about?
The idea became an ideal and would
not let go until the human race stood
upright and erect. taking possession