They call themselves "Conservatives."  What do they want to conserve?

Nothing, just a gone by era before the civil war. 

Well, the police for starters. Did you forget, or are you pretending, that Democrats haven't been calling for the police to be de-funded and dismantled entirely? Not reformed, abolished. As well as prisons! Not reformed (which I agree with) ABOLISHED.

They want to conserve their way of life, avoiding any changes, such as tolerance of others.

All our  money. 

If a progressive person makes progress should they conserve that progress or seek to destroy it tomorrow with new progress? 

I posted the above as a question. Of course it got removed. The single best thing I have done on answers is trigger people by their own mind trying to think. Its like cockroaches when the lights come on. 

Conservative government and law is the bedrock of civilization. Fast changes, knee jerk reactions followed by more of the same will always cause more harm than good. A slower methodical approach is ideal. 

Inherited wealth                  

Keeping white, straight, males in charge and literally nothing else.

Life as it was in the 1840s.