Norwich bulletin., 1920-07-03
THE MAN WLr raIs>s

things stolen money, of course, is the chief thing But anything that can be disposed of for money Is one of the thiefs objectives. Now there are hosts of men and women everywhere who would indig- nantly spurn the temptation to rob an- other person of his purse or overcoat who would make any personal sacrifice rather than to be known in the communi- ty as sneak thieves Yet these same per- sons will steal another persons time and think nothing of it. To do this so shame facedly as some do exhibits sort of ethical twist in their makeup The writer once heard the editor of a great religious paper speak an hour and a half on Our Moral Obligations" To show how. great these obligations were, he stole thirty minutes of the time allotted to the next speaker. Of course. he did 1t thought lessly, but in some things We have, no right to be thoughtless-no more fin steal- ing anothers time than his pocketbook- <
 No. one questions the influence of pub lie opinion, but just how far it furnishes correct evidence for or against person or a project is mooted question. It was once universally believed that the earth was a plane surface and that the sun revolved around the earth once every twenty-four hours, but science shattered universal belief. Cases are on record where twelve honest intelligent and con scientious jurors have convicted the pris- oner who subsequently, was found to have been innocent Unanimous belief bungled badly. Here under a democratic form of government we believe in majorities-and rightly, no doubt-but are nlajorities al- ways to be relied on? The word tbol- shevisn'' means the rule of the majority but would any of us care to live under the government of the bolsfeviki? Many a time in deliberative assembly has one strong person unanimously reversed a negative to positive vote and vice versa Which of the two positions was correct? Who today believes that vox popuH is vox dei? The voice of all the. people has never always been, and some of the people never. the voice of God. What real value has public opinion?
 The above lines naturally recall to our minds the reversals of judgment regard ing both persons and things. History is replete with illustrations bearing on this point Christ Himself was sneered at as the "Nazarene, and the term Chris tiansIs was applied to His followers as a reproach- Centuries later the word Methodist was given in a like spirit to a sincere band qof English reformers What reversal of judgment These very words have come to signify noble ideas that are conquering the world. Poor old Homer who begged his bread from door to door blind and friendless, subsequently became so honored that seven cities claim his birthplace. Similar posthumous honor fell to the lot of the great Mozart It is well known fact that the graves of some great inventors were for a long time unmarked by any monument. Why is 1t that i've do not prize the music till the sweet-voiced bird has fiown?'
 
 When these lines are read it will prob ably be the day before the Fourth-the oldest and the biggest of the red letter days in our political calendar. The Fourth of July will always be celebrated in some way. The form of it's observance may change with the passing of the years, but not it's ideal. The youth of the nation will always continue to make noise on that day. and so will the orators, but both are equally haruless. The greatest dangers to the boys will come from the careless use of explosives and to the ora tors from the careless use of their tongues. Let us hope and pray that there will be very few fatalities. May the lad have nothing worse than bandagedNhand for few days. and the orator nothing more serious than d singed reputation
 which everybody will forget within fort night. But let us all have good time, for if any people under heaven have a reason for celebrating in these unrestful and nervous times, it is we Americans.
 It. is a fine thing to have a real taste for the beautiful whether it is for beauty in music, poetry. sculpture, painting, ar chitecture, or what not; it produces g. pleasure that has an educative value. Many years ago pr. Shedd, a learned professor of Union seminary, wrote a book on Strength in Beauty, in which he contends that real beauty influences character in the right direction, But this taste for beauty is sometimes impaired by lack of correspondence. That is, we injure beautiful thing by ugly sur roundings. Why will people disgrace a fine residence and beautiful grounds with a ten-cent garage? We have here in Norwich stately old colonial mansions and very attractive streets. We also have scattered here and there garages. that l would not improve a western mining camp. Is this because We have lost the sense of correspondence, or must we do | it because we have lost most of the cents from our pocketbooks?
 Hardly anyone would think of putting Saint Paul and Josh Billings in the same category of moral teachers, and yet the great moralist and the great humorist stand shoulder to shoulder in the enforce ment of practical truth In one place the Apostle Paul says: And let us not be l weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not" Among the sayings of Josh Billings one may find the following: My son, take knowledge l of the postage stamp, for it always sticks till it gets there p One infinitely greater than either once said in Galilee But. he that endureth to the end shall be saved. E The Great Teacher and the other two are here bringing out the idea of persever- ance. And we need the teaching today as l much as ever The pathway Of every human activity is strewn with the most pitiable wrecks simply because men lose l their nerve or their patience. They are l obsessed with the baneful get-rich-auick 1 idea. They go all to pieces if their la bors are not crowned with immediate and abundant success We need little more 1 of General Grants grit to fight it out along this line if it takes all summer 1 The wedding ceremony is a twin sister l to commencement day exercises-the line | in which June specializes, and the path. l way between them is, strewn with roses If May day has it's queen. the month oi 1 June has it's princess. The wedding day ] is hers by divine right she has been 1 looking forward to it as no one else does or can. Back of the glamour of romance l there is a sincerity of purpose to make ] her marriage triumphant even if it in. wolves self sacrifice. There will be as z l matter of course many bitter disillusions But these will not create void but sim 1 ply spaces to be filled by a richer ant l more permanent qualities of life than car come from mere dreams. God bless these 1 noble girls for their courage in steppini into the domain of mottled' landscapes
 i. In one of his commencement day ad l dresses several Years ago President Had