Hostility to New Things.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 354, 27 March 1889, Page 3

Hostility to New Things.

A univeksalj law ot social progiess, with which wbare alUamiiiar, is Lhat established systems in thought, morals, manners, government, or any department of human activity, struggle to perpetuate themselves by a tight against all innovations. Whatever is new and progressive, or represents the requirements of an enlarging field of life, has got to gain its foothold in tho face of the powerful opposition of the old pre established. Those more perfected and exact conceptions of Nature, which we call scientific ideas, prevailed only after centuries of moral strife with the inherited superstitions and imperfect generalisations of our semi-civilised forefathers. The progressive and liberal governments of our most advanced nations to-day have been established in, spite of the bitter opposition of their predecessors, and are bhemselvos fighting tooth aud nail the highor forms that will succeed them. In literature and 'art, old schools strive to deny existence bo the new ; and, even in the little affairs of our daily lives, we aie all permitting the things that are, and ' have sufficed to our fathers before us,' to keep out the better things that might be. — H. G. S. Not.le.