Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-03-08
MEN AS REFORMt.-
why Youth and Old Age May Ra r.,
the Hope of Mankind.

the Hope of Mankind od
In his remarkable novel. ..Dia,a ot.
Crossways," Mr.. Meredith represa 'ae
his heroine as writing to friend. TN
very young men and the old ara o,. 10
hope. The middle-aged are hoSs
and fast for existing facts. We nia,'
our leaders on the slopes, the inclinA
and decline of the mountain not ~
the upper table-land midway. VII W
all appears to men so solid, so tolerabIv
smooth, save for few excrescanco,'
roughnesses gradually to be- leyelad,o.
their leisure; which induces oneto mr.
test that the middle age of men is ma.
time of delusion. 1t is no parade
They may be publicly useful in sman
way, L do not deny it at all. They mn.t
be near the gates of life-the openiro,
or the closing-for their minds ia 10
accessible to the urgency of the great
er question.
We are inclined to think that Diana
Merton was right. The impulse to 20
form comes generally from tba
younger men, who are taking thein
first clear outlook upon the field ~
social institutions and established c,s
toms. Habit Is a hardening force in
intellectual processes, and dulls tho
keenness of moral perceptions. Con.
sentative, and, therefore, preservatiye
influence, though it be in society. if ia
dead weight to be overcome in anv
social reconstruction. But it is onlv
the finer and rarer natures that. by
middle life, have not succumbed to the
habits of their own ways of thought
or the stronger organized habit which
we call social convention. The ad.
vantage of taking things as they are
commends itself to the man in mid.
life, who Is bearing the burden and
heat of the day. Things may not be
as he would wish them to be, but ha
knows, at least, the conditions under
which he must make his battle and
the reformer's purpose throws cond.
tiOns into q confusion from which he
shrinks. He has come to look with
tolerance, if not with .complacencv
upon manifest evils on all sides Of
him, and his stolid acceptance of them
springs partly from such acceptance
by others, partly from mental inertia.
and partly from the decline of hope.
fitness. ssH
With some men, however, the i'm
pulse of a reformatory principle car
ries them far into middle life. and
perhaps through life, as reformers.
They may be men of one idea, social or
political ''cranks," agitators and
propagandists, but they have at leasta
thoroughness of conviction and a
tenacity of purpose which the world
badly needs to counterbalance the
dead weight of Indifference and blind
conservatism. Indeed, it is to be de-
plored when a man does not start with
radicalism enough on at least one sub
Ject to last him through life, and so
preserve to him some sense of sympa-
thy with the reforming spirit.
The army of young reformers find
some appreciation and encouragement
among the old, among those who are
near the closing gates of life" They
have fought their way through, taking
probabilities as they found them, and
they have come to time when they
can look backward without personal
anxiety, but with the sympathy of ex-
perience for those who are at the
threshold. The veterans of life know
that life can be made better for the try
ing; the victims of society know that
social and political conditions can be
made juster and more honorable. The
young are hopeful and anxious to work
reform for themselves; the old are will
ing to help on the young champions Of
reform for the sake of posterity. And
50 it comes about that the stimulating
influences of society are strongest at
the extremes of age, strongest among
those who stand near the opening or the
closing gates of activity. In sense it
is true that the middle age of men is
their time of delusion.- Boston C0ur-
icr.