Evening journal., 1911-10-28
REFORM, REFORMERS
AND PROGRESS
By John S. Hamilton.

To become a reformer is likely in
the nature OF things sooner or later
10 place one in rather a discouraged
state. II is one of the most gratifying
things in the world that so many peo-
pie are willing and anxious to work
/ for the hetternent of things, but they
are continually being shocked by meet
Ing those who tell them they had been
through the mill and after being
ground down some they came to the
conclusion that It was no use. The
other day IL was announced that
strong party in China stood ready with
hopes of success to proclaim Repub-
| lie. On Sunday at a meeting of the
Society of Ethical Culture held In
Philadelphia DR.. Felix Adler gave 1t as
| his opinion that mankind was Slip
ping backward" Now here is encour-
agement and here also is discourage
ment, all in one week and here also
is the whole reform movement in
nutshell
DR.. Felix Adler is big man. He is
unquestionably animated by the loft
lest Of ideals and for years he has been
at work trying to improve in his own
way his fellow creatures. He has, how
ever, recently looked about him again
and he can discern no Improvement.
4 Our young people he says are wanting
in morality. They have no sense OF
honesty and truth and they are also
wanting in filial love which indicates
that the present generation Is becom-
ing a lot of ingrates. There Is not SO
much truth and honesty displayed
among the people, he believes IN inc
Twentieth Century, as there was u
the Fifteenth Century, That Is one SIDE
OF the reform movement and DR. Adler
has reached place where all re1orm'
ers sooner or later arrive. DR.. Adler
can come to no safe conclusion by any
comparison he may be able to draw
between the centuries whether he
slxips one or five OF twenty. He knows
very little about real conditions az
fhev existed in the Fifteenth Century
and although he lives in the TWcn'
tieth century, the writer does not meal
IL as any disparagement of DR.. Adlel
to say that he knows comparatively
little of the time which he lives In i
he must confine his knowledge 70 VIVA
he sees, hears or comes in contac
with. After all there Is only one ruli
by which progress can be measured
lust so far as men show an inclina
ton TO draw together is there encour
sgement for those who hope for bet
ter things. Individuals may be un
truthful, dishonest and lacking in thu
flial qualities so much to be desired
but to the writer's mind all or any o
these things do not indicate in tn
least that the race is slipping back
ward"
The deplorable qualities spoken o
BY DR.. Adler are not a new thine
and II they really are more con
spicuous in the Twentieth Centur
than in the Fifteenth Century 1t
not because these things are in re
ality on the increase, but it is be
cause the people have better oppor
tunity and more inducements to eA
plot them than they had in forme
times. There Is no real vital dan
ger to the race as a whole In thes
tendencies and the only real sunei
ers from the evils will be those WI
indulge In them and the very sui
fering will bring about better thingl
The writer refuses to believe tina
men are not more moral in the res
essentials of morality In the Twer
tieth Century than they we're in IN
n
of appear more acute at thi
time. IL is because of the greater OF
portunAty and the wider publicit,
Taking everything into consideration
the Twentieth Century must in III
nature of things be superior morall
to the Fifteenth Century and th
Twenty-first Century must be be-
ter even II It is only a little bette
than the Twentieth Century.
On the other hand the uprising !
China is an indication of real pro
, gress. For thousands of years thes
2 people have maintained their integril
and their solidarity as a separate PEI
pie. During all these ages they hay
tried numerous systems and exper
ments. II is more than encouragin
therefore to see them turning in the
2 extremely towards democracy. II
! an indication that the desire for frs
a institutions is as wide as the plan
: and as deep as the aspiration Il
D liberty, which is the one God give
attribute when all is said. that di
tinguishes the man from the brute.
9 indicates that the instinct II not II
r intelligence Of the race recognizes I
y the truth ultimate that safety only liz
: in the direction of the Golden Rul
Il is therefore more than encouragir
because IL reveals that men can 81
9 the way out. That while for ages
E come there will be thieves and LA
q and ingrates, the proper impulse HI
at least been given, and that haltini
ly If you please. almost imperceptib
4 II you please. mankind must, does az
b will 90 forward with its face towars
that happy day and hour when mt
the world over shall
!. Brothers be for a that"
4 Reformers must never be in hurr
They must contemplate mankind I
something in process Of formation.
> II is looked upon as something on'
( perfect and spoiled, discoura gemel
and despair are Inevitable.