St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-12-08
MUST HUMANITY sTAaVE3
How Shall the Increasing Population
fine World 7.e Eed?-Au Illustration

The troubles at the leading centers OF
population, the agitation OF Questions
which are closely connected witt, wage
earning, are ell barometric indications OF
storms ahead. What shall he done will
the rapidly increasing population OF the
world and how il shall he provided for SO
as to reduce TIE friction of bread winning
to the nliuilaurn. arc grave problems
which may enlist with, profit the leading
minds of civilized countries.
Mr.. Edward Atkinson, in The Forum.
enters into consideration of the doc
trines of Nautilus and Ricardo. If their
concepts are to be received az demonstra-
tious of science, what good. he asks, Will
result from the efforts to ame!iorate the
condition of mankind, to prevent war. to
stop famine and to save life from, diseases
If human passions and human nature
lead to disrroportion of population III
ratio to the means of subsistence. or II
the mind of man applied as factor to
production cannot provide for this ten
dency of population to increase. without
resort either to violent or to purely artl-
fetal methods of checking it, we might
as well ''eat. drink and be merry. for to-
morrow we die.' without taking any
thought for the future Of the race.
With these pessimistic doctrines Dir.
Atkinson takes issue. He thinks tncy
are based u,son very narrow obse.yastct.
If Nautilus or Ricardo lad conceived that
within short Period, says sir. Atm
son, ironstone would be converted into
food for man and beast, by grinding into
powder the phnsi horic Stag. which is the
waste product of the iron furnace,
neither would have ventlred to present
such hypothesis. A1allbEs held that lie
reputation OF the world would increase
faster than lueans oe subsistence could Le
fond for the additional number Iii
carGo's theory was that giveI, area OF
land of high fertility when cultivated Tor
a series of years in certain manner
would yield diminishing returns in pro-
portion to the amount of labor and capl-
tai expended upon il.
Eir. Atkinson reviews these l,vro.i,eses
very deliberately, and finally concludes
as follows: s.Tlne mine. OF man when APP
Piled to the direction CT natural forces is
the principal agent in material produc-
ton: in fact, the controlling element
Those who claim that labor is the source
of al production are utterly iaisicd, be-
cause they do not admit this funda,nen-
tai principle NJ Y it not. therefore. be
more consistent witt, tile concerts Of an
enlightened faith Of any type IN which
order is recognized in the universe to
present an hypothesis that as Tie mental
faculties If man are mere developed
and more irtelligently applied to the
conversion CT the forces Of nature Into
material products, the general struggle
for life Will become less and not greaters''
Err. Atkinson takes the right view. 1t
is optimistic, but 1T the same time is hased
OH the experience of oriental nations.
The soil il the great reservoir Of nan
subsistence. 1t is tie foundation upon
which all ether industries are based. Ii
the earth were rocky, and SO sterile as to
be absolutely Cnproductive, nl..n himself
could rot exist. He lives virtually on
the soil. There could be 70 ;'1in1al life
without the SOL! For eve, toe c:<rnivcr-
Gus animals indirectly draw t!!c:r sus-
tanauce from mother earth. The soil
supports those animals On which the meat
eaters live.
Granting t.,as the soil is the lasis Of all
life. what is the proportion Of danger that
the theories Of Nautilus and Ricardo will
ever be reaIiZeI2 IL seems to lie very
small. Man is vet in the adolescert period
of his intellectually. lie viii in the fut-
ure know much mere about the forces OF
nature and how to govern and to prac-
ticalIy apply them than he does now. All
this knowledge will be turned into useful
channels. We viii understand how to
fertilize and cultivate the soil SO that it
can never be exhausted and will produce
the maximum. So long as the soil is
productive so long will there be no fear
that humanity cannot be supported.
Take, as an illustration, the case OF
China. The area is not more than one
| third the size of the United States. 1t
supports, however. six times as many
people as we have in this country. 1t
takes care Of the increase without any
difficulty. The most careful system Of
| fertilization il observed, and the farmer
| there bestows az much ci.re Oil his farm,
| which is incre in the nature Of q garden
| than farm. as the flower gardener IL
the United States bestows on his exotics.
| Even Germany. az sterile as &c il, in Elan..
parts, can supply millions more people
than it docs now. The director Of the
| German statistical bureau has recently
| submitted sorle very Interesting Etcures
on this subject. lis conclusions. which
are based on the stat;st :cs gathered, are
that without any effort Germany will bt'
| able to care for its increase il Population
for a tine SO long ii the future .,...t i is
removed from the realm Of i.l,..an spec
| ulssion.
Think of the unoccuried lands +. Asia,
In North and South America. in africa.
| 1t will he centuries and centuries before
these lands are even Ell partially TILED.
| When it is titled there can be no limit to
| the industries which viii be supported by
it and the people which viii End in these
industries their employment and happi'
ness.-Detroit Free Press.