The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-10-08
NAY Nor DISCRIMINATING
'EIae EROaern EzSyplfSn as EsIs
sls she Egyptian of Thou.
sands Of Years A=O-Ehe
Modern E;nsifslauaaa bigger
than EzfS AnceaIOrs.

as Ene Esy > stan Oh Thou.
sands Of Years =O-Ehe
aEoderu E;nsiisLman bigger
than Ezfs Ancestors.
There never was delusion with
less evidence for il, except perma-
nent impression among mankind,
which is often the result, not of ac-
cum ulated experience. but of an
ever-renewing discomfort with the
aci uai state OF thi, gs. There is not
the slightest evidence anywhere
t bat Inanwas ever bigger, stronger,
swifter or more eaduring under the
same conditions of food and climate
than he is now,
AS TO bigness, the evidence is
positive. Modern Egyptians are as
big as the mummies who were con-
querors in their day, and modern
Englishmen are bigger. There are
not in existence a thousand coats of
armor which an English regiment
could put on. Very few mOderns
can use ancient swords, because the
hills arc too small for their hands.
Endless wealth and skill were ex-
pended in picking gIadiafors, and
there is no evidence that man
among them was as big or as strong
as Shaw. No skeleton, 40 statue,
40 picture, indicates that men in
general were ever bigger. The
Jews of to day are as large as they
were in Egypt, or larger. The
peopie of the Romagna have all the
bearing and more than the size OF
the Roman soidiery No feat is re-
corded as usual with Greek athletes
which English acrobats could not
perform now.
There is no naked savage tribe
which naked Cornishmen or Y ork-
shiremen could not strangle. Nc
race exists of which thousand meI
similarly armed would defeat an
English, or German, or Russian reg
iment of equal numbers. Nothing
is recorded of our forefathers here
in England which Englishmen
could not do, unless it be some
feats of archery. which were the re-
suit of a long training of the eye
continued tor generations. The
most civilized and luxurious family
that ever existed, the European roy
al caste, is physically as big, al
healthy, and as powerful as any
people of whom we have any &C
count that science can accept
Theirs Frenchman is C9sar's eau
in all bodily conditions, and will
an increased power of keeping
alive, which may be partly owing t.
improved conditions of living, blu
is probably owing still more TO de
veioped vitality y. There is no evi
dst:ce that even The feeble races ar
fee5ler than they became after ,hei
first acciimatiZItioH.
The Bengaiee was what we know
him twelve humid ed years ago, ant
the Chinaman was represented O.
, porcelain, Just as he is now, befor
} the birth OF Christ. No race eve
; multiplied like the Anglo-SaXoT
which has had no particular advant
age OF food. Physical condition de
ponds on physical conditions, an
, why should race better fed, bette
clothed, and better housed than eve
i, was before degenerate Because
eats corn instead of berries? Con
pare the California and Digger II
o, liian. Because it wears clothes
The wearing of clothes, if burden
sone-which the experience {
: army doctors in India as to the be,
, costume for marching makes excet
sively doubtful, they declaring vef
unanimously that breecbless me
( always suffer from varicOse vein
I as men wearing trousers do not
1 must operate as permanent ply
e steal training. You carry weigh
habitnally. Because they keep il
doors? Compare English Profet
| SIGNALS with Tasmanian saVages, liz
ing out OF doors.
The conditions OF civilization nc
only do not prohibit Capt. Web
!; who would haye out-walked, ou
. swan, or strangled any German thu
! Tacitus ever romanced about, bl
: they enable him to live &c 20 instea
: of dying at 45, as 1000 years ag
he, then probably slave bred TO
- the arena, would have done.
y That the human race, even unde
the best conditions, advances yer
/, little in physical capacities is tru
But, then, it is true also that thos
conditions are fatal TO the mo-
1 powerful of the old improvin
: forces, the survival of the fittes
: Still, an advance is perceptible
/ vital power, and we question whetf
s er a Greek swimmer would eve
have crossed from Dover 10 Gala
: just as strongly as we questio
:, whether tie ancient world eve
e posed a horse which would hay
: achieved a place at EPSON. VIII
1 should men grow feeble in civiIizs
ton any more than horses?