The Washington herald., 1920-02-16
CBy staff correspondent.)

CBy staff oorrespondent.)
Boston, Mass, Feb. 15.-New Eng
lands political and social reactions
at the present time are conservative
1t Is true that New Hampshire's con-
stitutional convention has been max
ing changes indicating that her pub
'lic men know that this is the twen-
tieth century. But the Granite State
is the only one of six that go to
make up the by no means Homogeneous
section that during the past two de-
cades has had anything like an over
turning of the political and financial
in power since the civil
war; and the fact that 1t has Senator
Moses. representing 1t in Washington,
now indicates a swing back to old
at Concord
Dimcult to Get Leaders,
New England's failure to assert TO-
day. in anything like her former
power, that provision and moral au-
thority in the fields of politics. edu-
cation, theology and social reform is
due to many factors. The extraordi-
nary heterogeneity of her present
population. rural as we'll as urban. diff
fering so much as to race, creed.
political traditions, shd ideals OF in
dependence Of action. makes ii dim
cult for leaders to emerge who can
command general support, and IL also
makes eqnally difficult the formula
ton OF platforms of action. Literally,
centuries OF possession of property IN
varying degrees of accumulation. but
representing huge investments at
home and abroad and ceaslessly
pouring in dividends, have made the
OF the original settlers
excessively mindful OF the interests
of property as over against the rights
of persons and fearful of any change
in the political or economic structure.
AS for the newer corners (the immi-
grants and their children, their pc
cuniary rewards have been so great
as workers in the highly developed
Industrial structure OF society that
they also have developed few radi-
Gals; and the labor movement. as
compared with its mood in New York.
Pennsylvania, the Middle West, Chi
cago and the Pacific Coast, by con-
servative. Moreover most of the new
settlers and most of the workers,
whether Irish, ,French-Canadian, Greek
or Slavic, are loyal adherents of
churches emphasizing the principle
ehN my oAC uNSAlC.
Conservative Education.
From the educational standpoint
New England\ also seems conserva-
tive as compared with States of the
Middle West and the Far West. She
clings to the local unit control of a
junction that is fast becoming State
and Federal. The old classical tradi-
tlon OF education for life and not
Tor living is strongly rooted. Her
highest institutions OF education, save
in two States-Vermont and Maine
cease to be democratically controlled
ana supported when the high school
stage is passed. Her masses have no
such access to colleges and univer-
stiles on any such inexpensive basis
as obtains west of the AlleghanIes;
and the situation grows worse rather
than better. inasmuch as tuition fees
rise, several of the historic colleges
are deliberately limiting the number
OF students they will accept; and
there is-a retreat back to the aristo-
cratic ideal of education as only for
those who are fit to be educated, ratf-
er than a'forward movement including
all ambitious youths. Moreover, as
abe higher education is so almost ex-
clusively privately endowed and de-
pendent for its existence on the lar
CESS of the few rather than the taxes
of the many, there is not that liberty
of thought and speech on issues of the
day. either among professors or STU
dents, which is tolerated under less
dependent conditions.
Religious Life.
As for the religious life of the re-
gion 1t suffers from -over-dupIication
Of its training schools for the Protest.
ant ministry, from logical results of
Independence and individuality in mat
ters of faith which, when given full
chance to develop over a long period
Of time. lead to sterility of purpose
and inability to federate for collective
ends. ecclesiastical or otherwise. II
you talk with the officials of the
Federal Council of Churches, with
Iheadquarters in New York, an or
gauization which now enroIls q, 600 600
adherents through representative lead
ers. you will find them saying that
nowhere In the country is Il 20 dif-
ficult to get moral or financial sup
port for their plans as among the
New England Protestants. Few lead
ers emerge, and when they do, and
issue their call. they get feeble re-
sponse. Independency has gone TO
seed; and this in a day when in state,
education, commerce, industry and ali
other important phases of human ac-
tivity the emphasis is on co-opera-
ton.
Banks Work tor; others,
Much the same state Of affairs
exists in the financial and COM
piercsal world. The leading banking
houses of Boston have consistently,
over long term Of years, plsyed
the gamc for every other section
or the country. save New England
In general and Boston in particu-
lar Anything like sectional pride
or team work is most difficult to