Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-01
A HIGH-HANDED INNoVAToR.

The June number of the Arena. .maga-
zine contains an article by Hiram nj.
Stanley on "Our Civilization and the
Marriage Problem" While the ideas
advanced by Mr.. Stanley are not novel
they are an emphatic arraignment OF
the Christian idea of marriage, and are
really violative of the notions held by
many savage tribes. Mr.. Stanley really
borrows the fundamental features of his
plan from Moves, of the Oneida commu-
nifty. The underlying principle OF his
contemplated system is that human be-
ings should be bred, like horses.
That is to say, he thinks that
the propagation of the human race
should be conducted on a plan
of selection, in which only the higher
types should be allowed to reproduce
their species. 1t is very doubtful
whether under any circumstances such
a plan could be carried out. Rejecting
Christianity altogether as factor in the
proposition, many men who are either
crippled or puny have tremendous vital
and intellectual yigor that would pre-
sent two difficulties to Mr.. Stanley's
plan OF making generation dependento on
perfection of physique and type.
One of these is that such men as King
Pepin, of France, Lanciotto, the crippled
italian hero and crook-backed Richard
would object to being crowded out OF
love-making, which with some people is
regarded as very agreeable occupation.
They not only would object to it, but
thev would furnish a good many re-
spectable funerals if it were attempted
to carry the plan out. Then there is the
religious objection.
The plan of creating families advo-
Gated by Mr.. Stanleyis somewhat on the
notion of patent incubators for chickens,
furnishing bees with artificial combs,
and so on. Mr.. Stanley's favorite argu-
ment for his plan of scientific selection,
is based on the great success of selected
types in horse-breeding. Even from a
scientific point of view there is no abso-
lutte parity between the two cases. The
horse is bred strictly with view to de-
veloping his wind, speed and muscle.
There is no danger that any member of
the equine race will ever seek to distin-
guish himself in algebra or write a
treatise on the differential calculus.
When it comes to human being, how
ever, the most puny man may have
twenty times the intellectual ability OF
his bigger brother, and he may
have vitality not necessarily
muscular that would make his offspring
infinitely more useful and forceful than
the children OF his brawnier brother.
OF course, when it comes to the ro-
mantle, emotional or religious view OF
the matter, the objections to Mr.. STAN
ley's system multiply indefinitely, and
it becomes absolutely revolving. Mar
riage is not simply a convenience for
propagating the human race, although
of course the raising of children is a
natural and lovable outgrowth OF the
conjugal relations of the sexes. There
is strong and even invincible
natural right in those who love each
other to live together under the sanction
of laws, human and divine, while the
Christian ideal of marriage is not bor-
rowed in any sense from horse-breeding.
The general opinion will be found to be
that of the old lady who was informed OF
new methods in the way of conducting
marital households, and in which there
was a suggestion of machinery, but who
said that she thought the old method
was the best. Both religionists and
romanticists and vigorous malformed
people would object to Mr.. Stanley
summary programme.
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