The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-02-11

fall short OF perfection; the dluefehcc oo"eru our
hest ideals and our actual condition Socialists
anarchists and idealists generally believe that per-
lection may be attained, and hence tho reform which
they advocate is III this zone.
Possible reform is that which may actually be
inaugurated if we will. We possesses authority and
resources necessary, and we can connan" ting re-
suIt A largo number of Teformera insist on I'll
that Is possible They think OF their purposes m-
related to life forget the Limitations which ~orial
relations create and demand all reform to which
resources arc adequate
Prudent reform is that which appears safe anj
wise in the circumstances, and promises to ~u- ann
itself by its harmony with factors III lie ON which
its permancnce depends.
Sunday closing Of saloons was once found pos
sible IN an eastern city. But drunkcnIeee 81" '.-
creased ON account of Saturday purchases i'm guam
titv that the mayor, himself ardent temperance
worker favored the abolition OF the ordinance To
drive vice from any one section OF q city Is a. ro-
FORM surely needed and actually possible to city
authorities. Yet it might not be prudent, for {.
could easily create dangers t. innocence. health
and virtue far III excess of any Suppressed by In"
reform Good people generally insisI on principles
in such matters With shortsightcdness they over
look the deeper nature of certain social evils and
the universal facts of human history. 1T may br
better to study very carefully what Is prudou, H
such cases and undertake to accomplish it without
raising the embarrassing question OF prlncp" ln-
voved 1t was found possible but mprudcut
Many girls who worked in large cities would have
had no place of rest for the day, they were able
10 hire only sleeping quarters to winch NO access
was given during the day Unless provision
made for their security and rest on Sunday. To
| seemed better to permit them to work. III vaF
found possible to abolish the army cautccH, but
there are many thoughtful and intelligent persons
who doubt the prudence of it, and some disagree
| able facts appear to support the doubt. his may
! sound like compromise with sin and wrongdoiue.
| but nothing is more evident from the facts OF lite
than this, that policy Is sometimes more Service
! able concretey than a principle Facts are facts,
and the logic of life Is rigid. Churchmen surely
find it advisable today to accept the policy OF -e2a-
ration of church and state and to be silent about
the principle Of union of the two; yet in the mind
| of the modern state the separation j. of punclpG
and not merely policy. Thus we sec chat needed
reform is not always possible: possible reform is
not always prudent but prudent reform Is always
| imperative. No community escape from the
moral obligation to inaugurate it and protect IT.
These distinctions are based on the facts oil life
and It's limitations. One OF the main factors linz
iting the possibilities of reform Is the difficulty OF
co-ordinating social agents ia any given work.
When business men, churchmen, statesmen. probes
sional men, the press and the public unite on any
great reform it becomes at once possible and pru-
dent; nothing i'll the ordinary run OF life could
withstand such cooperation. But whcr all Of these
classes are at variance with divergent sympathies,
unrelated aims and antagonistic PHILOSOPHERS. great
difficulty is experienced IN co-ordiHatiug them III
any reform work Thus the zone of the possible i'll
reform Is considerably reduced. Not alone modern
society but the modern city Is 50 divided by
party religion interest, prejudice that Its social
power is enormously reduced and it, unity of so
cial consciousness is seriously impaired, Ne part
Of society or of community can solve q problem
which concerns all society Yet this Is what mod
ern circumstances force most reformers to undo
take.
1;,,,;ta e rofcr of thpd
Virtue and truth are not cunning, resourceful or
insistent They are plain direct. sincere, unac-
auainted with the methods of selhshness and the
principles of craft. Thus it is that high-minded,
honest men, who GO into reform work uncomprom-
isinglv insist ON ideal methods IN fighting evil.
| However, virtue and right justice and equity, are
by no means as attractive to the masses as we at
times imagine Sympathetic villany. which rccOg-
nizes the foibles of the people, which aters and Is
deferential, is very powerful with them Their
weaknesses are inherent and human while their
virtues are largely acquired The appeal to the
former is very often more winning than tho 3opeal
to the latter.
The main difference between the corrupt leader
and the reformer is one of purpose rather than
method. Within the limits of principle the re-
| former may resort to many of the popular methods
of the villain. But he will not, and result he
loses. Brass bands excursion boats CARTOONS, anc
presents of turkeys at Christmas time, as well a
contributions for weddings and funerals, no
inherently undignifed wrong. The people love
such things, follow them. and vote for them Thu
reformer refuses to unbend. he scorns such meth
DDS, and sets up counter attractions stern lee
lures on social service. the sacredness of the bao
and the iniquity of graft.
Another phase of this limitation of method, fol
lowed by virtue and reform, It's champion, is seel
in connection with the police. 1t is well know
that they employ small thieves to catch big ones
The stool pigeon is an integral part of polio
force. By being discreety blind to the operation
of minor burglars and criminals, the police secur
at times from these reliable information concern
0 ing the presence and intentions of more dangerou
men. whose skill and daring enable them to batt
attempts at capture The police thus put o.
the track of such men, and are enabled to eaptur
5 them Now a mayor and chief of police who wer
+ entirely noble and uncompromising would pTobabl
n suppress and punish any collision between polio
! and petty burglars and insist entir. integrity
Such a course has every sanction of moral law; ye
II tho good mayor III question might soon ind M
city overrun with criminals and the police unab
to cope with them. His administration would meC
severe condemnation. and very probably the peop
would look fol- a less virtGous man vino would CIV
protection against crime they cared not how w
may recognize the fact without thereby justlfyln
it. Thus limitations OF individual and of soclf
power OF individual and of social will, and of st