The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-04
A PLEA FOR CONSERVATISM.
A Remarkable Address by WI Tins
FauR,s Son.

Fang's Son.
The address of WI Chao Chu, the
17-year-old son of WI Ting Fang, for
merly Chinese minister to the United
States, at the Atlantic City High school
commencement exercises. is considered
most remarkable production for a
Chinese boy. The address. which is on
the subject of Eastern conservatism, is,
In part. as follows:
Better fifty years of Europe than a
cycle of Cathay." Such was the COM
ment of Tennyson on the conservatism
of the East, and such Is the voice of
the West to-day. That Eastern conser-
vatism impedes Western progress.
binders modern civilization, blocks
Christian endeavors. are facts to be la
mented for the cause of Eastern devei-
opment, but conservatism is by. no
means bitter enemy to progress On
the contrary. 1t is an element which
helps 1t in the end.
A nation which has no conservatism
is, OF course, easily changed from its
ancient customs and manners to the
new. Yes. but that which can be
changed just as easily again and
again. 1t can also return to it's old
ways. 1t fiickers with every wind. It's
very progressiveness is, in the end, the
arch enemy to progress Note, for In
olutions in France and in England.
From the latter part of the eighteenth
century, for almost one hundred years,
the French have had innumerable rev.
olutions. varying in bloodshed and hor.
ror. Yet the result Is not as radical nor
as effectual as that accomplished in
England by one rebellion. The East
though slow to begin, when once be-
gun, carries out the work to the end
though slow to change, when changed,
produces effectual results. 1t Is like
the heavy body in physics; 1t takes a
great deal of force to overcome at first
its inertia, to make 1t move but once
started it's momentum will carry 1t
! far. and it can not be deviated in its
course like a light. easily changed
body. This is because the East Is not
impulsive; a change is subjected to
much thought before it is made.
The Japanese are known to be pro-
gressive, like the Occident. and the
Chinese are>knoSn to be conservative,
typical of the Orient. Missionaries re-
port that the former are easy prose-
1ytes, while the latter are hard to con-
vert but that some Japanese converts
have returned to their old faith,
whereas there are few such Chinese
cases.
Conservatism Is also a great benefit
TO a nation in that it prolongs the life
of a nation. Is not the Oldest nation
in the world the one most con-
spicuous for this trait? why? Because
conservatism is the result OF expert
ence. Is 1t not better to pursue a course
which has been previously successful
than venture on some new. rash
scheme? Edmund '3urk thought SO
when he objected to Lord North's plan
of treatment of the American colonies.
Francis Bacon thought so when he lid
in one of his essays that 1t is not good
to try experiments in States.
Conservatism is advantageous to a
nation also because 1t preserves the
foundation. When the nation is con-
servative II adheres not only to the old
civilization. but also to the old stand
ards of morality. The one is but a
superficial defect, while the other is of
intrinsic value. Culture may revolu-
tionize with time. virtue is immutable
forever. Thus sam the Lord, stand
We in the ways. and see, and ask for
the old paths. where is the good way.
and walk therein and ys shall find rest
for your souls"
There is yet anvtner reason for con-
servatfsm prolonging nations. namely.
in conservatism there is a reserve OF
energy. The nation that is humming
with activity nervous energy. is 1t ac-
cording to nature that that nation
IL frugal of its strength? The skillful
general understands this principle and
holds always a reserve division in bait