New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-23
WISE DEFINES PROGRESS.
1.-The Divine Urge in Soul OF
Man That Burns Out PettIneSS."
PATIENCE AND TOLERANCE
Rabbi Declares Inspiration of
Progressive Is Hope, of an
Unprogressive, Memory.

Rabbi Stephen s. Wise, before large
audience gathered In Carnegie Hall yes
terday morning. preached upon What Is
Progress and Who Are the Progressives?
Dr. Wise declared that the spirit OF pro-
eressvism was "a divine urge In the soul
of man, burning out all the pettiness and
smallness," and added that if we would
be progressive we must be 'hnely pa
tient and sweetly tolerant to those VINO
are slower gated than us IN TINS SOCIAL
world" He defined a progressive as one
whose inspiration was hope, and an IN
progressive as one whose inspiration was
only memory.
Dr. Wise said the classic word OF prog
rcss was TO be found in a chapter OF Exc
dus where il is written, Thou shalt not
remove the landmarks that thy father set
up" The landmarks are milestones' anu
IL was from the drama "MileStoncs that
DR.. Wise said he received the inspiration
for his sermon. He asserted the play was
a ycritable oasis amid the arldlty or
ugliness and uncleanness of the modern
stage" He compared the average Man TO
Sir John Rhcad. the principal In the play.
But is il written that thou shalt no.
move beyond the mlestones?' ne sara.
Shall think as my father taught me 10
think. or shall think for myself When
George Washington took his oath Of OIL
flee. from where he stood he looked out
over the empty fields beyond II We
were 10 be truly loyal TO the memory oi
WASHINGTON We should. OF course, Keep
those fields as then. but We said. NO
We shall better honor his memory by
building upon those fields that were empty
when his noble vision swept across them.
They are 10 be memories, not monitors.
The great foes OF progress are dis
trust OF self upon one hand. and awe OF
the past upon the other. Progress tokens
faith in man and faith I'm God. Thy
fathers landmarks are milestones; they
are not TO be millstOues about the n"cha
Of the children" Or. Wise then d.vergtd
for a moment and said: There are ccr-
tain Jews in New York. London and Paris
who seek 10 hide the littlcucss Of their
own souls 10y arranging the higher nup-
tials OF their daughters In fashionable
Roman and Episcopal churches. But they
are mean Jews" Then he compared SIR
John Rhead to the average man.
In the mechanical world We are all
more or less progressive. but what OF the
elevation of the race? John Rhead was
progressive in ship building. but very un-
progressive lu home building lie was
rctrogrcssivc We may have adding ma
chimes and cash registers and telephones,
but that does not make us progressive.
Proarcssiyism is Il matter OF the spirit of
the lie. OF the Utmost cirgumstaHc".
When old John Rhead found that the or
der Of things was not what II had been
he was sorely disappointed. Thank God.
said the rabbi that things are changing
but lets SEQ that when they change they
constantly grow better.
Or Wise declared that when woman
was deOased her whole race was dcOased.
for no race rises higher than It's woman'
hood.
"ProErossivism does not r"mov" the
landmarks" he maintained; 81 implants
its own There IL no oblivion of the past
in progress. The un-prOgressivc Is b"
whose inspiration is memory, while tn
progrcssive's Inspiration is hope lie
tn,n said the late Or. Robert Coilyer was
A true progressive. because he never lost
his faith I'm either man or God, and was
always hopeful Of the morrow.