The record-union., 1895-11-20
PROFESSIONAL REFORMERs.


Duane Mowry, in the American Mag
azine Of Civics, expresses the opinion
that the professional reformer is an I'M
Sc fe if not a dangerous man, and that
the public is justly wary of him. 1t
makes no difference that he is honest of
purpose and that his integrity is un-
questioned.
We are inclined to agree with this
view. The public must feel that re-
form is the outgrowth of a high and
lofty purpose to conserve the general
good, and not to make effective the per
sonal plans and theories of the individ-
ual 1t must be the public thought that
the thing advanced is wholly unself1sh.
Now the man who makes reforms a
profession, so to speak, cannot diyest
his movements and crusade Of some de-
gree of seIfshness. At least the public
is apt to attribute to the man who en-
cages in the business of advancing re-
forms more or less selfish motives.
This fact arises out Of the common
knowledge that very many profess
sional reformers have developed as in
sincere, and as moved by an unworthy
degree of personal pride in achieving
victory that partakes of gross selfish
ness, which the public abhors. 1t is
also true that a number OF the habitual
rcformers are known incompetents,
men who engage in pushing a reform
who are unable to conquer successes in
the ordinary walks Of human activity.
These are they who point the way in
which they are themselves unable to go.
Mr. Mowry puts the matter of reforms
In the shape of this proposition. in
effect, namely, that the suggestion Of re
form in any direction must come from the
thing or the situation, rather than from
a personality. 1t must indicate an evil
that needs correction, and the remedy
must be reasonable and almost suggest
itself A true reform deals with the
present, and has to do with the condi-
tions of to-day. What its promotion
may promise for the future must be &
logical sequence, and must appeal to the
hard common sense of the general pub
lic.
The professional reformer generally
loses sight of this truth, and attempts
to force upon the people his precon-
ceived ideas. He is rarely adroit enough
to permit the people TO discover for
themselves what promise there is in the
proposed reform. But the true reformer
Is wholly unselfsh. He is but part Of
the movement, and his personality
does not attach to it extensively. His
superior wisdom and foresight is not
paraded, his persistence is not posed
for public appreciation.
But there are reformers who are es-
teemed professional who are not prop
erly so classed. These, however, sooner
or later are vindieated by public iudg-
ment. They gain a hearing without &C.
nading it, and while they may for q
time be thought to be one ideaed, and
by their persistence may be classed
with the cranky, their unselfshness,
sincerity and self-sacrifce in the end
vindicate them. They convince with
out browbeatng or clubbing the inteIli-
gence of the people. They are patient,
laborious, never nervous, never abusive,
and are always modest in their personal
works.
So the public never failsin theIongrun
TO distinguish the professional from the
genuine reformer. The sincere, honest
minded man. he who is moved by Iofty
resolve, and whose aim is the bet.e--
ment of his kind. irrespective of results
to himself, the people always dis
tlnguish at last from the man who
pushes reforms for personal glory as
well as for the reforms sake.
We do not, however, agree with Mr.
Mowry in the statement that the word
reform is a disagreeable one to the
American ear. On the contrary, while
our public is chary of reforms, and
never accepts a proposition out of hand
TO change conditions, it is ready to
listen to fair schemes for economic