Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-11-03
What We Bequeath POstcrlty.

Often have we pointed out in there
! columns the folly and inhumanity Of
bequeathing our descendants an ex-
hausted soil, an impoverished continent.
This is bad enough, but it is possible TO
do more and worse. In his "study OF
sociology" the greatest living philosopher
remarks: "Therc is no greater curse to
pOsterity than that Of be1ueathing them
an increasing population Of imbeciles and
idlers and criminals"
Have farmers, mechanics and business
men, whose votes make our laws, state
and national policy what they are, studied
sufficiently the wsyaand means by which
criminals, idlers and imbeciles are multi
piled in ratio much larger than that of
our whole population? We think not.
Making and cxpending money in a
thousand ways command 80 much time,
thought and anxiety that the most mo-
mentOus social problems are generally
neglected as matters of no consequence
Virtue, honesty, mental and moral vigor
should grow little faster than mankind
increase for any real improvement to be
achieved. Society should not manu-
facture more inbeciles, lunatics, idlers
and criminals than ever before according
to its numbers. @ ~ H''
Why is the community burdeued with
50 much imbecility2 80 many idlers
living on the fruits of others labor 2 80
many criminals robbing and stealing and
numbering to avoid producing what they
need? These social phenomena do not
happen without an adequate cause, and
this cause demands immediate attention.
The upper ten thousand, whose ex.
ample is generally followed, appear TO
believe that idleness and gentllity are
the same. Idleness stops production on
the part of all idle persons but it does
not stop eating, or any other consump.
tion. One idle family living on rent or
the interest of money, consumes more
than two, often more than ten, labOring
families. This fact is visible to all is
not satisfactory to the men and women
whose toll creates wealth.
Dissatisfaction is as enduring as the
cause and wrong which produce it.
Hence labor strikes, riots, tramps and
violence,in every FORM Idle hands make
the brain the DEVILS workshop. Steady,
satisfactory employment means the easy
and proper prevention OF vice and crime
to a large extent. But how is such en-
ployment to be within the reach OF all
classes, under our present industrial and
social arrangements? 1t is practicable
only by an advance in our industries
equal to our advanced wants and adj
.vanced intelligence to meet and supply
those wants, Many human wants, in
civilized life, are artificial and it is in
dulgence in these that gives existence to
imbecile idleness, wanton and vici Ius
consumption. Children see extravaganza
and intoxicatien, and naturally follow
bad habits, consuming much, producing
little.
Suppose we advance productive indus
try to the same plane ofadvanced society,
and so change the condition of labor that
no family will be able to consume more
Of the good things of this world than it |
produces? There would be far more left
unconsumed to pay full wages to all Ia
boring people. The question is, who shall
have the first right Of consumption, the
producer or the speculatOr? Where pro
ducers throw away the fruits of their
industry, as often happens, any man,
speoulator or not, is justified in gathering
up and trying to save what would other
wise be trodden under foot, and lost to
the world. In word, producers must
learn, to keep and use wisely as we'll as
learn to produce properly. This impor
tant learning is mot taught in our best
schools and colleges. Hence they are
behind that learning which the age and
advancing humanity most need and
demand.
Manual labor has made more progress
toward the good time coming than any
university--a pregnant fact that school
men know nothing about. They are
eminently classical in their studies, and
bequeth to youth and posterity not ideas
use ul and practical to-day, but the anti
quated notions of men who have been
sleeping in their graves two thousand
years Such incongruOus teachings breed
discord and imbeciity in society. In
stead of beating swords into plowshares
ard spears into pruning hooks for noble
purposes, we teach our children to love
and respect all the practices of war,
which have descended to us with our
Hebrew, Greek and Roman literature.
Great criminals are their heroes-our
model men. Society reaps 10 each gene
ration harvest frem the seed sown by
former generations, which breeds true in
kind with increase of seed. .....