The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-09-04
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CUSTOMS or COURTESY.

CUSTOMS OF COURTESY.
Most Of Our CsrS nonial Forms Are Thos.
sands Of Ysars Old.
Few ceremonial customs have origin
sted in recent times. Their forms,
whether now trivial or still important
In sociology, are vestiges Of the past,
and only by anthropologic studies are
traceablo to their genesis and early
forms All authorities. unswayed by :
religious or theorizing bias, agree that
in the origin OF these ceremonies there
was nothing designed or intentional;
that is, they were not directly invented
with definite purposes. A thing is not
now and never has been customarily
done because 1t il intrinsically right,
but is considered to be right after and
because it has been habitually done.
whatever its origin or the circumstances
in which it prevailed. The rules Of
courteous behavior as they now exist
are not the immediate effect Of deliber-
ate conventions, but are the natural
and slow product Of the'forces gradually
developing social life. and they exhibit
tinctness Is is demonstrated in the phys
ical realm. Men have not fabricated
though they have framed, rules for
themselves. They have fallen into the
customs from which rules were framed,
and then by unintended notifications
have deviated into novelty, and now
rules. To the query why do nations
and people do any thing as Gus
tom?" the optimist answers, "Be-
cause it is right" which assumption
vet further confuses the vexed question
whether. in the nature OF things, there
is an absolute right and an absolute
wrong; for customs vary even unto OPP
position In different parts Of the world,
and not only in different but In the same
periods Of history: so that they can not
all be absolutely right. In matters
large and small, vital and trivial, what
is esteemed as virtue and merit at ono
place and time is condemned At others
As vice and crime. Explanation has
been attempted on the theory that there
being distinct races Of men, each Of
them has its idiosyncrasy; indeed. that
by primordial decree each of them had
the mission to do certain things and no
others. BY such theory fatalism is
omnipotent, and all men are marion
cites. But this explanation depends
upon conceded classification of men
into races, which has failed. A few
years ago school-boys glibly rccited the
titles Of the races Of men, with their
characteristics, but now students who
have devoted long lives to the subject
| find such classification to be so difficult
that no two writer's agree. This does
not indicate the proposition that there
are no distinct races of men; indeed,
it is possible that once there were
| many more races than have ever
been recognized, the present condition
being one Of amalgamation. But the
plot Of the marionette show becomes
confused when there is no agreements
about its personages. The chief justice
Of high court lately declared that no
race Of men was good for any thing
which had not believed in only
one God, and allowed only ono
wife. As all the races of men
| have at some time believed in many
gods, and have allowed plurality OF
| wives, this dictum would condemn all;
but it is an example Of bysteron proteron.
or 1.-THE cart before the horse" IL the
statement had been that polytheism and
| polygamy were outgrown before the
| attainment OF high culture, it would
have been historically true; but. as
| made, 1t Is rs inaccurate as to assert
that no race is good for any thing in
which the men have not always worn
| trousers-a useful but recent invention
Of civilization. Instead OF seeking an
| explanation OF customs IN race, it Is
more practical, as we'll Ar more scien-
tific, to look for it in habit and history;
J. e., in environment. An apparent ex-
ception occurs in the arbitrary edicts
Of fashion, styled very properly by Bo-
rachio as "a deformed thief" but dis
tinction may readily be made between
custom and fashion. Fashion is imita-
ton and transitory. 1t is most COM
monty noticed in details of dress or orna-
ment designed by some influential per-
son to conceal . defect or display a
be .uty; sometimes, however, in latter
days. by conspiracy of manufacturers,
tailors. or millinera With the cessa-
tion OF the special influence, the imita-
tion gradually declines, unless. indeed.
genuine merits are discerned in the
invention, in which case it is assimi-
lated through the vital catalvsine
faculty. The method Of human progress
is empirical. The good and useful,
when ascertained by experiment, are
i retained for further improvement
throughout the ages, while the nocuous
or useless are sooner or later rejected
Prof. Garrick Mallery, in American An
thropologist.