Evening star., 1915-11-16
The Hostility to Change
By DIR. FRANK CRANE.
Copyright, 1915.)

One characteristic of America is the
enthusiasm for change.
We not only have one political party
that styles itself progressive. but in
every field of endeavor there is a
vigorous element that is for new
methods. new ideas and new condi-
tions.
In medicine the average physician
aims to be UP to date, which means
that he knows the latest theories of
disease. the latest ways of treatment
and the latest kinds of drugs
In every science the hypothesis Of
twenty years ago are already out Of
date. Biology, psychology. chemistry
are announcing weekly the new dis
coveries.
The business world is alive with
modern ideas. Old-fogy manufactur-
ers. railways and banks are left
behind.
ways of spiritual culture. new attf-
tudes toward human depravity. A sig
nifcant movement is called New
Thought.
Besides we have the new education.
new economics. new principles OF gov
ernment. new programs of interna-
tional cooperation.
When the young idealist emerges
from college and looks about for the
best direction in which to send forth
his energies he is usually fired with
the ambition to change something. He
sees the world is all wrong. Ancient
customs are full of wastes and error.
Old institutions sadly need going over.
And yet. in spite of all this spirit
Of change in the air. the reformer
sooner or later finds out that mankind
does not want change. and the world
is both organized against it and op-
J..h n ont
passion.
Everybody is willing to find fault
with things as they are. but when 1t
comes to alteration, everybody Is in
favor of changing anything and any
body except himself. Nobody grows
hot over the proposition to change his
own ideas. his own tastes and his own
manner of life.
Consequently when the young knight
of progress couches his lance and
charges against things as they are. he
finds himself attacking an almost inn
pregnable puttylike mass He is apt
to become discouraged. He usually
grows sour. The world is full OF
them.
It might be just as we'll, therefore,
to bear in mind that politicians don't
want politics different from what they
truths and not new ones preached to
them; drinkers don't want prohibi-
tion: lovers don't want eugenics: the
old way is good enough for the COOKS
a lot of women don't want to vote. the
slums don't want to be cleaned up.
What we all want is to have things
as they always were. The very pest
reason still extant for doing thlng
is because we always have done II
The Chinese are not the only peopie
who worship their ancestors.
Dr. Albert S. Gray says that. whiie
we pride ourselves on our individ-
uality, as a matter of fact Americans
cultivate what Emerson Emerson, ca,Ied nedrro;,m tne
It is vastly easter>eo follow in the rut
Of others Ideas than to originate
ideas of our own. The ideal oI tne
American home," he asserts. is 10
protect the developing child from hav-
ing to assume responsibilities. Every
where the child is hedged about with
projections and deliberately trained
not to stand on his own feet
ingIy points out the worldwide hos
tility toward change. Vast popula-
tions," he declares, some OF them
with a civilization considerable but
peculiar. detest that which IN the IAN
guage of the west would be called re-
FORM. The entire Mohammedan world
detests it. The multitudes of colored
men who swarm in the great continent
of Africa detest it. and 1t is detestea
by the large part of mankind which
we are accustomed to leave on one
side as barbarous or savage. The mil
lions upon millions of men VINO MI the
Chinese empire loathe 1t. The enor
nous mass of the Indian population
hates and breads change
.aTo the fact that the enthusiasm 1or
change is comparatively rare must pc
added the fact that 1t Is extremely
modern 1t is known but TO n smali
mart of mankind, and to that part but
for a short period during history OF
incalculable length