THE NEW SOCIAL ATTITUDE.

 Parallel reactions in the United States towards individualism in politics and evangelism in religion and tendencies of similar movements in Australia provoke enquiry whether they possess interest beyond the coincident. President Wilson, representing the rising tide of public opinion in the great Republic, insists on tariff reduction, not merely as a means of lowering the high cost of living but as essential to the full development of the virility of the people. To him State coddling implies privilege, monopoly, abuse, and consequent contraction of opportunity, freedom, and vigour. A paraphrase of a familiar injunction indicates his attitude:— "Seek first national character and all other things will be added." National character denotes a robust development of the individual by way of idealism and struggle, faith and works. President Wilson's political interpretation of the process consists of a larger patriotism and a wider liberty, a patriotism which is not content with the appearance of great men in this generation, but aims at the production of even greater successors, and a liberty which destroys such privilege and restriction as depress the life of the community. Caste or class privilege inflicts even greater wrong than extortion. The worst evil of tyranny, particularly the insidious kinds, is that it represses energy and forms a slavish mind. The contemporaneous religious movement in the United States contemplates the recovery of the virility of the churches, and these are presenting to men, who constitute the large outside majority, an attractive programme of evangelistic enthusiasm. Thus far the parallel reactions appear to be founded on the one principle that the true method of raising the public tone is by restoring faith and hope, for which purpose it is first necessary to free and develop the self-activity of the individual.

 One significance of the movements in question is that they point to an approaching change in the social temper and attitude of the age. The generation which experienced the full effects of Darwin's and Huxley's teachings is being succeeded by another which returns after a brief diversion upon the unfathomable intuitions of the human heart. A materialistic or negative outlook upon life cannot fail to rebound in politics in a narrow or provincial patriotism, and a doctrine of might which is the basis of privilege and enslavement. Flamboyant Imperialism is at root a selfish centralism, and classism a miserable game of "begger my neighbour." The gradual growth of the democratic spirit, to which Dickens largely contributed by displaying the humanness of the poor and despised, may be regarded as a protest of the ''hope which springs eternal in the human breast" against the pessimism and cynicism incident to a transition period, for the claims of democracy as well as its guarantees rest upon the universal perception of mystic values. Agnosticism has spent its shot; the Higher Criticism is no longer a spectre; the atom has been dissolved into electrical force, an expression of intelligence; chaos has again given place to form and beauty. With the return of idealism comes a new meaning of life, which will permeate both the political and religious expressions. The dethronement of the mechanical atom in favour of intelligence restores to man his faith, his hope, and his crowning glory. Just as he is indebted to the community for the supply of his material and social needs, he owes to it his best services, his highest sacrifice: and as he can only render these by a full development of his powers, it is to the interest as well as the duty of society to accord him a free course. Individualism and social service or efficiency are the two halves of modern democracy, whose goal is universal friendship and peace. That idealism must finally be based on a religious experience of which evangelism is the outward and visible token. The brotherhood of man will prove an empty sentiment to those who possess it except they act the big brother's part, do justice, welcome the prodigals, and help to restore the unity of the family circle. The ground of rational individualism is the truth that by the law of our being individual development can be alone perfected through the life of the community. The worth and measure of a man are denoted in his treatment of his neighbour. This new gospel is after all old, but its present value is in the special energy and method of application.

Mail (Adelaide, SA ),  1913, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63803224