Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-12
PETRIFAcTIoNs ABOVE GROUND

pEPORTS come from Parsons. Kan. that
~ the pctrifcd body of man has bccn
found 200 feet beneath the surface in n
coal mine in WclCh. Okla. The body was
in crouching attitude. rs though il had
been warding of an attack II has very
long legs. admirably constructed for kicking.
1t is assumed that the body dates from
prehistoric times. and experts from the
University Of Kansas have boon asked TO
cXamiue it and tho stratum in which it was
found in order that some theory Inay be
formed as 10 its age.
Inc conclusions may be interesting 10
those curious about the length Of time that
man has lived on the earth. especially ms
the pctrificd tracks of monsters havc bpcu
found in tho rock near tho figure. But the
problem arising out of the existence Of
petrthcd mon on the surface of the earth
is OF greater contemporary interest.
These mon are hSbitually in the position
Of one resisting attack. Their minds have
developed so far and, have then turned TO
stone. Not even the shnrpcst diamond drill
can mako hole in them big enough to
permit the entrance of now idea They
are obstacles in the way of progress. In
deed. they deny that progress is possible.
Perfection was reached with them and the
race can go no further.
Some of them insist that they are merely
conservatives and boast that all that has
ever been achieved has been the work Of
conservatives. They charge that the brain
OF the progrcssivcs is fabby stuff surrounded
by skull of soft cartilage. But the facts,
OF course, are against this view.
There can be no progress until tho wall
of pCtrfactions that stands in the way has
been beaten down. II is the progressivcs
who do the beating. Sometimes they blow
II up with the dynamite of Il great idea
and sometimes they smash il with their
SINdgehammer logic But they keep up their
attacks until they make a breach in the wall
and open the way TO move forward
The ranks of the completely rctrificd are
frequently o-cnforcod by regiments Of men
with fixed idea that is with only one
part of the brain rendered rigid by stony
deposits. These fixed idea folk are more
troublesome than the completely pctrificd.
They frequently pretend TO be progrcysivcs
and proclaim that the adoption Of their idea
is essential to the preservation Of society
But IT frequently happens that the idca Is
one that was abandoned by the real pro
GrcSsivcs many generations ago. II Is NOT
necessary TO name any Of the groups Every
reader IS familiar with some Of them and
can do his own denOuncng
And then, too, there is large mass of
people who like 10 have others do their
LH'Hhl"E I"r tH'Iu' ana some OF these are
found lined up with the potrifactions. 1t
is easier TO accept an Outworn fOrmuln than
TO decide whether new ono has any justl-
hcaton. We have seen an illustration in
| recent years Of what happens when men
| with vision have attempted to launch the
| United states on n broader sea. The rocky
wall was raised up in the path and it has
not vet been beaten down. 1t may be posi- =
| bic TO tunnel under it or build IL road around
! it and leave III" wall standing as a monu
mcnt to Conservatism" But whatever
! happens, the fact remains that the pctrifed
! men above the ground are causing much
moro trouble than all the stony remains be-
! meath the surface of Oklahoma