Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-07-15
The Strong VS.. The Weak.

The Chicago Times has curious article
In which 1t rebukss the present age tor
consiueIinx the prolongation OF living one
Oh the highest purposes of life 1t SAYS that
nature, which Is our model, is a prodipal
Ia the waste OF life rs proftise In it's crea :.
ticn. 1t reminds Us that 1.-The ferocious car :
nlvora subsist only by Destroying the life
OF animals. The lion and tiger prey upon
deer and cattle; the wolf rends the har m ess
sheep to secure Its food; the fox subsjsts on
io~is, and In the cases OF all these and of
all similar ones, the process of suppl wing
these animals with food involves death and
great suffering on the part of victims Man
~ ~ an animal who, In supplying bis necessi-
lies, causes more death and naicts more
pain than all the other carnivorous auimals
united. To satisfy plants implanted in him
BY nature the world runs with rivers OF
blood howing from the throats OF In ferior
enimais. In iaot, every where in the ami
NAL economy death IL the essential adianct
OF life; and it seems 30 arranged that one
class OF animals can survive and flourish
only ct the expense OF the death of a vastly
greater number of Others"
IL may we'll be doubted whether animals
suffer As much pain from destruction as
seems to be the case. DR.. Livingstone, whose
opportunities OF observation were greater
than those of most men, and W ho had been
himself In the paws of an African lion. was
OF opinion that the faculties OF the victims
are beuumbed by the assault SO far as to
n,
mas well shown IN his mastery work on
natural theology that q violent death is
more merc1ful for animals who have no
means OF providing for old age and sick ess
than II they should die in those ways. But
the moral whioh tho Times would teach ia
somewhat startling. II says: Mature sug-
gests that 1t would be bettor to permit the
weaker (of mankind) to die, in order to
make room for the stronger. To secure this
end there needs not be an active resort to
direct agencies of destruction. We need
not either drown the deformed infant. or
slaughter the bedi idden man or woman
who has reached advanced life. we can,
however, resort 10 measures that will pre-
vent Inc Perpetuation OF the enfe Died men,
oers OF the human species. Society can. by
the creation of unanimous sentiment ma 9
II a. Infamous for diseased and sickly men,
pers OF Inc human race TO perpetuate the M
selves aud thoir siients, as 1t has made it
infamous Tor persons to marry within
certain degrees OF consanguiuity. So long
a. society aims To secure. longevity by ap.
plying It's sanitory processes TO all its labor
cannot be a successful one. 1t should. by
indirection, labor TO secure the extlrpatiop
OF the feebier human elements. and in this
way 1t VIII secure sturdier growth OF the
remainder"
This Is about on a par with the idea adyo-
Gated by some progressive spirits in Eng
land, that physicians SHOULD be permitted
to shorteA the lives of their patients when
hopelessly suffering from PAINFUL maladics.
The Chicago philosopher graciously concede
that the deiormed aud Der id,en should not
be permitted to marry. When we take
into confederation the multitude of 'sIlls
which flesh Is heir to" we cannot but think
that very slender percentage OF mank ind
would remain to inhabt the earth II only
those free from all ger ms of disease were
preserved, aud that in the city of Chicago
In particular would. IN that event, be much
less populous tasn at present.