Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-03-15
CONSERV
is IT COMING TO AN END IN
THE LABOR MOVEMENT?

the Editor OF the "WOrkmen's |
Advocate" at the Public Meeting
Of the American Section, S. l.. p,
March 5.
sis conservatism coming to an end in
the labor movements"
Can any one here answer this ques-
tionp If so shall instantly give him the
floor.
Surely came not to answer it myself,
but to hear it answered by as many as
might be present here tonight. 1t is
really question that every one con-
nected in some way with the labor
movement must answer for himself, in
90 far as he is personally concerned and
no farther. He must ask himself. L.
Am l a conservative? 2.-ls my con-
servatism coming to an end?
Even put in this form, the question
will in most cases prove by no means as
easy Of solution as may appear priori.
Did you ever ask yourselves what this
word, Conservatism, truly signifies? II
not, may help you somewhat, but that
is all can do for you.
Surely you know that the law of ma
ture is motion and change-change of
place, change of form. Conservatism is
simply resistance to that law.
Things that offer the highest degree of
resistance to motion and change in the
physical world are rocks, stones, petri-
fcations of some sort, in which life is
not perceptible, and which are to the
least possible extent capable of mixing
or associating with other physical sub
stances. And, likewise, in the moral
and intellectual world conservatism
involves hardness of the heart and of
the mind-individualsm with ven
geance and with the least possible indi-
duality. A conservative is a stone the
more stone.like the harder his conser-
vatism.
Now, of all beings in animated Nature
it would seem that man is now so con-
structed as to be the least conservative.
II the Darwinian theory be true-if it be
true that all things have common
origin and differ only by reason of theil
path and degree of evolution, man, az
the highest evolved of all, must, physi
cally and intellectually, possess the
highest power OF motion and of change
he must be the least conservative-tht
most adverse, in fact, to conservatism
Not only does he evolve as an indivi
dual, but he moves and modities every
thing around him by his own motion
He evolves nutritious plants from weeds
dogs and horses and chickens and othe
very tame animals from very wild ones
etc. 1t is really by moving and chang
ing that he conserves himself for, if h
abstained for any length of time iron
moving and changing everything abou
himself, his very surroundings woul
of themselves move and change in di
rection disastrous to him.
And right here we see that conserva
tism, 80 called, conserves actually nc
thing, but rather acts the part of
destroyer. 1t mummyties, petrilies an
not unfrequently putretes what wou
otherwise have evolved into a highe
form of life.
But some may object; Truth must b
conserved. Nonsense Truth is hv
and life-giving thing, which has in il
self the power of conserving itself But
turn it over to conservatism, and cor
servatism, like the head of Medusa, wi
turn it into stone. See the truth, mel
but never lay your hands upon it.
Now, if you accept my definition c
conservatism, little remains for me t
say that will enable you to determine fo
yourselves " hether you should or shout
not be conservatives. The question {
importance, however, is not so niue
what you should be as what ycu ar,
and it is this question, as | have alread
observed, that wish you to answer.
But you may not be able to answer
without knowing what conservative
looks like. No man can know his ow
looks until he has seen his own imag
reflected in mirror, or in pure water
or in the eyes of some fellow MAJ
Even then he may doubt the accurac
of the mirror, or the purity of the WI
ter, or the honesty of the human eye,
his image does not suit his notion {