Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1917 — THE USES OF ADVERSITY [ARTICLE]

THE USES OF ADVERSITY

Nothing is truer than that continued and sustained prosperitv will enervate and undermine the physical, mental and moral stamina of any people. The human animal is all too prone to over-indulge in the good things of life. Put a man on his mettle to wrest existence from a reluctant world, and in the effort every fiber of his being is necessarily developed to the uttermost, and he emerges an invincible specimen of the fighter. So with nations. Given all that heart can wish, and left to revel unhindered in the indulgence of that plenty, the national fiber must inevitably deteriorate. Any crisis that jars men out of their ease cannot fail to work good that people. With no disposition to minimize the evils of the present conflict, yet we are bound to realize that the world is waking

up to a view of life that it had well-nigh lost. Life is a struggle, and when struggling ceases decay sets in. When the smoke of the present; conflict has cleared away and the world takes stock of results, we wIITbe found to have learned many valuable lessons. One great loss is inevitable —that of heroic lives that must of necessity be sacrificed. This is deplorable. -Yet these lives will have been given in the most glorious of causes—the renewing and vitalizing of the life of the nations. From the dawn of history to the present day, sybarites and sensualists have professed to deride and scoff at the scriptural virtues of renunciation and self-sacrifice. Yet the decree remains as unalterable today as when enunciated by the Man of Gallilee that “whosoever loseth his life shall find it.” We of America have not yet touched the edge of real renunciation. We have given only of a superabundance. It is when the giving assumes the nature of sacrifice that the real good to the people will be realized. Shall we, then, pray that it come not to us? We repeat, the sacrifice of life is deplorable, and we would it could be averted. There is but one greater calamity that could befall us, that is that we should fail to measure up to the opportunity now knocking at our door.