The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21
YRESRUNy EMANCIPATION.
How . Progressive People Broke TIM
Shackles Of q dead Past.

Not a few of the beliefs an prac-
tees OF the people Of Yresrun land
which perplexed and astonished visitors
from foreign countries arose from the
proud emancipation of modern Yresrun-
ians from the past.
Because OF certain ancient and APP
parently inersdicable human weak
nesses, which the Yresrunians reluc-
family confessed they had not been able
entirely to overcome, the names of the
founders and preservers Of Yresrun
were not obliterated from the lam
guage. but resort was had to every re-
flnement OF education to- rob them Of
significance.
To accomplish this. the youth OF
Yresrun was taught that not only was
Notgnihsaw OF a different clay from
his contemporaries, but that his ASSOC
ciates were OF extra human compost
ton. and subject TO none of the In
flrmitles Of body. mind or morals that
afflict Yresrunians to-day.
So soon as the number of Yresrun-
ians who had enjoyed personal ac-
quaintance with the great Nlocnil had
decreased to point that made them
negligible. he too was stripped OF his
humanity, and transformed by cunning
literary artificers into a supernatural
monster.
The same process was applied to
many other heroes OF the State.
The purpose of these strange trim
mings, rectifications and corrections OF
the mighty dead may seem obscure to
those whose training has not included a
course in Yresrunian philosophy, but
from the Yresrunian standpoint 1t was
plain and praiseworthy.
Had the Yresrunians OF to-day re-
garded the predecessors OF those who
held power in the yticauqol as mere
men. distinguished for their common
sense and wisdom. and confronted with
problems similar to those Of the pres
ent. they might have drawn unfiatte
ing comparisons, and sought in the
experience of the past guidance for The
tasks Immediately at hand.
Were this permitted. Il would have
been more difficult TO attain celebrity
In Yresrun, belief in the potency Of
charms might have declined. and the
honor paid to loud and long sustained
braying might have been distressingly
diminished
Therefore the Yresrunians were
trained from the cradle to the grave
to look on their forebears as super
men or fools: and In consequence, many
patriotic Yresrunian could be heard
Boosting that his father or his grand
fathers did not know enough to look
between the rungs OF a ladder. But
these boasts, Il II we'll to say. were
uttered only after the Yresrunians TO
whom they referred had ceased to be
physically capable Of vigorous use Of
their fists and feet.
The natural consequence OF this
course Of instruction was that the
Sresrunians conceived each social and
political problem that was put to them
TO be absolutely new and hitherto
undreamt Of: and they disdained to
search the past for knowledge. or 20
accept any precedent or teaching that
was dated further back than day be-
fore yesterday.
The Yresrunians were thus placed In
a position uniquely advantageous for
the purposes OF their speech masters
who could propose any charm tina;
came into their heads, promising 70
alter any condition they saw fit "a
reprehcnd, without the slightest dan
ger OF having any Yresrunian upset
them by pointing out that the same
alleged remedy had been tried pre-.
viously under similar circumstances
and either had failed to produce the
effect promised or had been the cause OF
new and more grievous ills.
BY the exercise OF all their faculties
In ignoring the past, and by violently
suppressing their fellow countrymen O
inferior intellect who were unable &c
perceive that previous to 1896 human
! nature was radically different from
what II was In their time the Yresrun-
!ans so increased their gift for being
| astounded that they dwelt In con-
slant state OF Amusement over such
facts as that black was not white
that thieves steal. and that those who
devote al. their time to speech making
are not inevitably the wisest and best OF
leaders.
| In this frame Of mind, the Yresrun-
ians found It possible TO believe every
thing that was told to them: as, for
example, that a large proportion of tn,
| Snac!xem longed to shoot. stab. club
and kill their fellow countrymen "a
| glorify Yresrun land; that charm
written by the speech masters would
| put gold into loafer's pocket: and
that to promote the general Happiness.
and prosperity II was essential TO jail
everybody who showed signs OF being
able to earn a living.
When the Yresrunians had accom-
plished this difficult work OF repressins
their intelligence to n degree which
made II possible for them to believe
such things, they were ready for the
Anal advance in their progress towart
perfection: which was to compel un