What Is Truth?*

change , then tho Tiivjiit did not change ; the change was in human opinion . I trust Bro . Klotz will see that it is simply absurd to make human opinion to be the Tituin itself : and 3 'et that is AA'hat he tries to do in the last article on " Tolerance . " IDEAS are images . If the idea be an image of something not really known , then it is merely an opinion or conjecture of what the real image may be . But j' 011 cannot say the idea or image is real or true , because you don't knoAV Avhat the real idea or image may be ; therefore , a truth is a known thing , and a true idea must be a true

image , and must be known to be just exactly Avhat our idea represents it to be . Hence , TRUTH is a reality , does not change , and is anything hut AA'hat Bro . Klotz represents it to be in these words : " TKUTH is an abstract idea , it has itself no limits , but for the time being has a limit in every man ' s own brain . " A poor hypochondriac , with water on the brain , and SAA'elled head , belieA'es he has a glass head , which must be taken care of lest the sun crack it , the Avinds blow it off , or some accident may befall it . Would Bro . Klotz say , and have us belieA'e , that this belief of the hypochondriac is true , because it has a limit in the man ' s own brain , and he believes it ? Are men ' s beliefs to be called

TUUTIIS ? Or are truths attributes of things themselves ? The changes in men ' s opinions and beliefs are not changes in the Trutlis themselves . The change in men ' s opinion of the figure of the earth is not a change in the earth ' s figure itself . Any change in men ' s opinion or belief of ihe sun ' s nature is not a change in the Truths relating to its nature . Men formerly teiieA'ed that the sun Avent round the earth ; but nowadays men believe that the earth goes round the sun—exactly the reverse . Did the Truth

change—did the sun stop going round the earth , and the earth begin to go round the sun ? Or Avas it men ' s opinion that changed ? Men believed , as reported by Bro . Klotz , in the flat surface of the earth , Avhich was " enclosed by a large river , AA'ith a high Avail for its outer boundary , as ihe absolute end of the Avorld . " But when men sailed round the world , they found no wall , nor end , nor boundary . Did the Truth change ? Did the AA'all and boundary disappear , and the surface become round and globular ? Or

was it men ' s opinion that changed , and became like the Truth as they found it ? Most assuredly , the earth Avas as round when men bebeA'ed it to be flat as it is IIOAV Avhen men believe it to be globular . The Truth was the same ail the time . Fifty men haA'e fifty different notions about a Polar Sea ; and the TBUTII may not be like any one of the fifty . Yet Bro . Klotz would call these fifty opinions fifty different Truilis about the same thing , and all opposed to each other , and the actual Truth will differ from them all .

We sincerely trust ( hat Bro . Klotz will see the absurdity of his statement and alter his opinion accordingly . It will lead him astray eA'ery time he applies it : and lead others astray AVIIO may adopt his opinion . There is a serious responsibility incurred by public Avriters of any eminence , because their opinions are oftentimes adopted Avithout due consideration by casual readers and thinkers . I respectfully submit these illustrations for his consideration . STEATHltOY , April 24 , 1 S 7 S .