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fulcrum. But it is absolutely necessary
so long 11s anybody is at one extreme that
there should be sufficient weight at the
other to restore the balance.
So it is in society in every age. Some are
ever at one extreme reaching forward and
grasping after any theory or innovation
which discards tho past and attempts to
establish something new. Others are ev.
or at the opposite extreme holding with a
death grip, as it were, to old and an
liquated forms and as steadily refusing to
have any dealings with the new and revo
lutionary. These forces then counteract
each other, the one aiming to hasten the
world along at headlong speed to its
certain ruin by giving it vague specula
lions and theories, while the other is striv
ing to restrain it and keep it in the dark
ness of the past. It is the vast number of
moderate ami careful persons between the
extremes which is slowly but surely mak
ing the world advance. From this it may
seem as if I regard the extremists as su
perfluous. By no means. It is absolute
ly necessary that some should ever be
reaching forward and collecting the new
and often vague theories out of which the
careful mean restrained, you see by the
" old fogies" at the other extreme is able
to erect a systematic structure. If you
consider the one as necessary to lead
civilization t lien you must grant the need
of the other to act as a break, else little
by little tho velocity of the whole mass
would be so accelerated that its advance
would be suddenly checked by some ter.
rible catastrophe. If we are to have a
blatant infidel as the New York World
characterizes Hobert Ingersoll at one ex
treme it is requisite that he should be off
set by sonic "old fogy" of the "hell lire
and brimstone" school. But leaving out
these extra-extremists, who really may be
regatded, in the one case, as mere scintil
ations from the advance guard flashing
for the moment and then extinguished
forever, and in tho other as the dead re
mains ol a past ago, we must oppose the
men of progress by conservatives. Our
progressive men often become so ontliusi
astic that they accept a mere theory for a
fact and hasten along to be recalled to
verifv their theories by the conservatives
who are unwilling to admit anything new
until it has been so plainly set forth that
"a way-faring man though a fool need not
err therin." Ofttimcs we may become ex
asperated and be disgusted with his con
servativc notions which seem to be mere
ly blocking the wheels of progress, but
why not with equal justice blame him
who would hasten us along to speedy do
struction by his visionary schemes? The
truth is, that the revolutionary and con.
scrvative elements have always existed
side b) side and will probably advance in
the same manner in the future. Where
the progressive spirit holds the balance ol
power, there is advancement. Where the
conservative element rules, there society
is cither at a stand-still or is retrograding.
Taking the world as a whole the advan
tage is, in about the right proportion, on
the side of progress. France and Eng
land are the two most conspicuous exam
pies of the effect of these elements. The
former is ever convulsed by following the
leadership of social and political revolu
tionists. The latter seemingly linn and
steadfast scarcely ever loses herself in an
ungovernable passion, but she too has
need to be on her guard lest, in her obsti
nacy, she so exasperate the bulk of her
citizens that their only appeal will be to
arms. These two elements then, when
separated, are most dangerous; hut when
combined in the proper proportions, form
the bulwark of society. Then I ask you
not to be forever persecuting the conserva
live or " old fogy" as you may regard
him, but grant that he has his work to ac
complish as well as the schemer and the
orist. Dkkknsou.
SUAFFOLDINO.
Wc arc all builders, and life is a con
stant process of building. Without noise
orsound of hammer is the work going on;
