The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-03
CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL.
HOW IlOISCRlMlNb AIMSGIvlN0
ENCOURAGES ICIeNGSS AND VICE.

A Chart Which Illustrates Social De-
graduation Hereditary Influences-The
Unwisdom Of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
The children of Ishmael are still with
u.s. They are not the rowing Indians or
reckless cowboys of the western plains,
no. the desperate "moorshiners' or the
Tennessee mountains They live near us
in New York, or wherever our homes may
be Their garments togch ours in the
public places Strangest of all. we may
be responsible in one sense for the lsh-
maelitish madness in their blood. aud yet,
If we recognized that responsibility, we
would complacently coant it to ourselves
for righteousness. For we consider aims
giving a cardinal virtue, while We are too
short sighted to estimate the effect OF
much indiscriminate almsgiving in en-
couraging moral ilabbiness and mental
and physical inertia, in increasing pauper
ism and crime, in multiplying the number
of the children OF lshmael throughout our
land.
This is one of the most suggestive topics
treated 1T the national conference OF
charities and correction recently held in
Buffalo. and elsewhere considered at some
length The speaker, Rev. Oscar Z. Me
Culloch. of indianapolis, illustrated his
study in social degradation by a chart
showing the social condition of thirty
families through five generations. This
meant some illustration OF the life history
of | ,G92 individuals. Their history had
been followed for fifty years There had
been several murderers in the group,
and thieves without number The ma
jority lived by begging or petty thieving.
The children died young. Licentiousness
characterized all the men and women
From this came mental and physical weak
ness, general incapacity 10 work. and IN
certain cases, hopeless idiocy.
MORBID HEREDITARY TENDENCIES
This study of hereditary morbid ten
denotes is most interesting. but it pre-
sents nothing absolutely new Maudsley,
of England, and Charcot, Of Paris have
naturally included the subject in their
study of mental pathology. In fact, in
the present century and especially since
Cation developed the study of heredity
into a science-heredtary influences Of
ali kinds have received the most careful
consideration, not only by medical stu
dents of pathological states of the mind
and body, but also by noveists We
need recall but one instance, the Rougan-
Macquart series Of lola, in which that
uncompromising realist has essayed TO do
precisely what MIR McCulloch did upon
the chart-that is, trace the development
and effects of morbid tendencies from
generation to generation.
But Mr.. McCulloch himself has used
this study of heredity merely as an illus
tration of his striking declaration that
the tendencies to mental weakness and
general iucepacity which he describes are
met aud encouraged 10y the benevolent
public with unlimited public and private
aid, which is practically an incentive 10
an idle and vicious life. He charged that
our elaborate systems of public charities
are in large degree responsible for the
perpetuation of this idle and vicious
stock, and what public relief failed TO &c
complish private beneyolenco supple.
mented The SO called charitable people
who give To begging men and women and
children have large sin To answer for.
The remedy indicated by the speaker was
to close up official outdoor relief, check
private lndiscrminate charity, and get
hold OF the children The last Is an ad-
mrable suggestion. There is no practical
way of restricting private almsgiving,
save by educating people to the idea that
unwise aims foster pauperism and the
bringing OF more paupers into the world
IL would be impossible to do away with
the great public charities of New York
even if it were desirable But the ten
dency of charitable work can be modified
and turned toward prevention rather
than cure. Children who are early taught |
a spirit of independence and self reliance
will not become paupers. If public char
tiles encourage this spirit and rigidly in
sst that nothing can be had without |
working for it. if work is possible, their
evils will be reduced to a minimum
Frank Leslie's