Excerpt from The Lantern, Vol. 1: March, 1915 to March, 1916 HE most characteristic note in the mental atti tude of this day in this country is cocksureness. In a period of discontent marked by many nervous disorders and a militant zeal for reform this cocksureness is lamentable. The result of it is a quick conclusion on every important question that bobs up; and so we have large cults of wild-eyed enthusiasts, such as the anti-vivisectionists and the anti-vaccinationists, going up and down the land with flaming banners; also innumerable movements to make perfect the government of man and remedy the mis takes Of God. History is repeating itself. We have the same fertility of projects for the salvation of the world that Emerson discusses in his essay on society in New England in the first half of the last century when the soldiery of dissent were calling in question the authority of all established customs. Then as now society was tormented by agitations born of the limited knowledge of a narrow outlook that makes dogmat ists of men. Even at that early period there was a prohibition movement. Many New Englanders of those days were just as sure as the Prohibitionists now rampant that no good could come out of wine. The question whether to drink or not, in their Opinion, was not for debate. The matter was self-evident. This same arrogant cocksureness is again manifest. And it is so aggressive that it is winning its way by intimidation. Now the drink problem is not so simple as Pro Copyright 1915 by the Pacific Publication co. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.