Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1880 — PERSONAL OPINIONS. [ARTICLE]

PERSONAL OPINIONS.

Shrine seems to be tbe coming man: He it Booming everywhere. Boston and New York wholesale merchants are urging the enactment of a new protective National Bankrupt law. Touching the Maine muddle the Democratic editor tajs: “Shake not thy gory loeka at u*, them faaion fellers did it.” r r The Uepnblicanß hold the fort in Maine. Tfie Republican Senate and House was organized Monday with a full quorum. Tbe usurping Fusiouists will be requested by the Supreme court to stand aside. Dan Vo or fees, the chairman of the congressional negro exodus committee, is in a dilemma similar to Deesticka when he purchased - the elephant at auction —he don’t kDow what to do with it- He don’t want t> go to North Carolina for evidence and dislikes to trust the varacity of the colored emigrants wbo pass through Washington. We suggest he summon the Democratic editors of Indiana, who profess to bsve personal knowledge of the origin and purpose of the exodus, aud •compel them to testify.

The handful of Greenbackers that met iu Washington last week as a National convention, had-a high old lime. De La Matyr was there and when called ou by the chair to offer prayer he was loudly hissed and some cried out, “Every man to his business. Keep your prayers out ©f pclitics.” Dennis Kesrney wss there and harrangued tbe motly e-ewd with oaths and vulgarityMiss Farrar, a Ligh-tone«f “reformoccupied a conspicuous position on the stage. Thurman's name when mentioned in connection with the presidency was furiously hissed, while Butler's was loudly applauded Verily the leaders of the National Greenback party are fast losing their respectability—if the'y ever had any todose. J. D. Cameron, chairman of the Republican national executive committee, Las issued tbe formal call for a convention of delegates fromthe States, Territories and District of Columbia, to meet in Chicago at noon of Wednesday, Jane 2,.1580y to nominate candidates ‘for president and vice president of the United States. All Republicans and others willing to nnite with our party in supporting the nominee* of the convention are invited to send two delegates from each congressional district, fonr at large from .each State, two from each territory and two from the District of Columbia, to represent them in the oouventioo... "I .

At a mass meeting of Greenback* ers and “reformers” held in Washington one evening this week, Dennis Kearney, the blaekgaard of the W est, said: “Fill ray belly with potatoes, and I am a man. Give me a dollar based ou a potato or a cabbage that will sustain life, and not a bit of gold to stick in a woman’s ear or a man’s tooth.” Speaking ■of California’s new constitution he said: “If the United States meddles with that constitution, we will lop off California and form a solid Wesr, and, with a solid South, we will whip the devil out of New England.” We call tho attention of the Greenbackers in Jasper county to the character of the men and women who have assumed the leadership of their party. “Only this and nothing mere.”

The agents jjf the Indianapolis Journal canvassed among the leading Republicans of every connty in this Slate, to discover the people’s choice as the Republican nominee for President. The whole nmnber of Republicans interviewed is 5,338. Of these, 1,882 are for Blaine, 1,600 tor Grant, 1,352 for John Sherman, and the remainder scattered among fifteen other gentlemen. The analysis of the expressions and occupations of men interviewed will show that the Republican* holding official positions, government, State and connty, are pretty evenly divided between Blaine and Grant, and that a very large majority of rlie stalwart working element of the Republican party in the State are for either Blaine or Grant, and that Blaine leads among that class. The strength of Sherman among.the Republicans of Indiana ie a great surprise to many. It is a noteworthy fact that a large number of those who are opposed to Sherman’s nom» in all on base their opposition mainly no bis want of availability, and tbe class that prefer bim as the nominee are largely business men, and not the most active in politics. It is a matter of still greater sot' prise to tbe advocates of Grant's nomination that the opposition to him is s» great, an<T mainly basedbn » conscientious opposition to a third Hmm Before the Jbnrnal commenoed taking these interviews few people in tbe State believed that Blaine wee lie- strongest man among tbe Republicans of Indiana. This fact baa been tboronghiy dem-

Opinion No. p. — Yovxe Mss. Tbe war tbe fcotite right ta Uievi eyee; but be that feaaSeetth aato eeuaael i« wlee. It is my opinion that tbe Mjiftft “It takes si! kinds of pooplo to mako a world” will apply so well to Rensselaer, for morally and intellectually speaking we have about all classes here, aud if I should express the opinion that we have about the best sod tbe worst kinds of people 1 should not befar wrong. We havei a few young men of whom I have some doubts about their being of tbe Lord's creation, but if they are their education has been entrusted entirely to the devil, and if the devil should be charged with beiiig the author of their existence he would undoubtedly disown them. But speaking of the devil 1 take the liberty to digress far enough here t 6 express the opinion that the “old boy” is charged with a great many things he is not guilty of. I am no friend tp the devil but it is my opinion that he has been falsified wonderfully, and that too by professed Christians. Perhaps none but those of my readers who are reasonably well, advanced in years remember that the Methodist churches formerly held class meetirgs, in which the good brothers would tell their religious experience, first of their whole re ligious career and second how ihey had or had not been serving the Lord since they had last met. The following may serve as a sample speech or experience: “Well,brethren and Bistern,-1 am sorry to confess thst I bsve not lived as uprightly before the Lord as I wish I had. My desire is to always enjoy his presence in my heart, but I find myself as often in the valley as upon tbe mountain top. It seems that when I would do good, evil (tbe devil) is present with me, and the temptation* of the evil one are sometimes more than I can overcome. Pray for me, when it goes well with you, that I may finally meet you all in Heaven.” The facts ar*» that he or she, as the case may be, simply falsified the position or did not understand tbe weakness of the human heart. If a womau she had doubtless through the wCek permitted her anger to control her better judgment and after banging tbe children into the four corners of tbe house attempted to appease her wratli by giving the “old man”*a piece of her mind in the way of a regular tongue-lashing. If a man he had probably attempted to get the better of his neighbor in a trade, or committed some other sin calculated to debar a soul from enjoying the society of the Lord’s anointed. It i*-Very clear to my mind that the devil doesn’t have anything to do with the commission of sins abstractly, and as a rule the “old fellow” is terribly lud on.

Now here is the lesson I want to impress upon the minds of the yonng men mentioned at the beginning of this artiole: After you have once acquired a reputation for all kinds of devilment, every evil deed committed in the neighborhood will be laid at your door until tho proper owner is- fonnd. If a disturbance is created at church everyone hearing of it readily concludes that the party or parties wbo are iu the habit of doing snch things are the ones gnilty of, the offence. If the light of day reveals a number of atore boxes strewn along the sidewalks, signs pulled down, big quids of tobacco and other filth sticking to the show windows, and everything giving signs of a regular “jamboree” or night’s debauch, the inevitable conclusion is that those fellows who have a reputation lor drunkenness and night broils arc the ones who should be made to pay the penalty. Young man, it you have been in the habit of frequenting saloons, drinking intoxicating liquors, playing games of chance, seeking the society of lode women, breaking the Sabbath, using profane language, reading obscene literature, telling vulgar stories, staying out late at Dights, courting the companionship of the vulgar and illiterate, and cultivating evil habits generally, let me implore you in the name of all that is good, stop right now! and resolve by the help of the Lord to lead a more honorable life, one that will not degrade yon, and one that your friends and relatives need not be ashamed of.

it is a faet that thousands of young men who have cultivate&evil habits have given up in despair and settled down to the conviction that there is but little hope of their ever rising above the wicked* things of the world which seem to hedge them iu on every side; but that is a false theory. AH that is required is a firm determination to pursue a different course end the work is accomplished. Those who say they’ll try to do better seldom ever accomplish a permanent reform, but those wno say they will reform and abstain from evil association are sore to be successful. Nothing bat thegrace of God and a change of climate oaa. keep- a yonng man from pitching headlong ifato. bell who remains on the down grade until his -physical developments arefulty ma-

tartd. Tbe boat that gets thoroughly into the rapidomust go over ike fcU»,aad tbe fall wtU be swift and deep, and forever." The wriptural assertion that “tbe wicked shall not live oat half their day*** it as true and as certain as Heaven itself, and the time to take heed !v just now. Here is a young man who says he la poor and eannot get a start in the world, but if he had out on interest to-day just half the money he has spent for liquor, tobacco and cigars, and for things generally that bring curses rather than blessings, he could oonsider himself reasonably independent. • Here is another young roan who concludes because his parents were not able to give him a oollegiate education there is but little need of bis striving to rise above a common laborer or the menial service of life. Poor, blind soul, my heart really achea for you. If you had spent halt the time at home striving to get'an education that you have worse (ban wasted in attempting to amuse yourself, you might to-day be fitted to occupy the most honorable position in life. Knowledge is power and instead of being servant j’ou should be master; not led by men but a leader of men; not to be looked down upon but to be looked up to; not clothed ip poverty and rags but as it were in royal robes.

Do you ask “Is it not too late now?” No, air! most emphatically not! It is never too late to do good. Thousands of men in America have attained to great eminence and wealth even alter they had passed the meridian of life. A -classical education is realty not the roost to be desired in this country. What Is tauntingly styled by the English people am “American education”—that is a general knowledge of the business and geography of the world, of the Bible and Christianity, of- the history of nations, of the languages in general and the English language in particular—is really the providiug it is backed by energy, honesty and integrity. Douglas, Lincoln, Johnson, Grant and many others we might mention, were and are self-made men. If you. can’t become a United States Senator, a President, one of the greatest generals the world ever knew, strive at least to occupy some useful and honorable position in life, that it may be said of you after your poor body has been laid away in the damp, dark grave, that the world is belter for your having lived in it. The saying that “Man is the architect of his own character” is a true one. Now young man won’t you strive to build up a character, not upon the sands of sin but upon the rock of intelligence. Build it for yourself; build it for those Who will look to you for example; build it for God and for Heaven.