Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-02-10
Past and Future Human Progress.

human progress. In the beginning it
disputes fatty two propositions almost
universally accepted in relation to hui
man progress. The first is that such ad-
vancement is steadily forward. mo
such continuous rise of the high water
mark of humanity is perceptible," says
Wallace. The greatest of our architects
and sculptors fall far short of those Of
Greece 1900 years ago, and no nation
today has an average of poets, states
men, philosophers and commanders
equal to those of the age of Pericles.
Mr.. Francis Gallon declares that in
tellectually the Athenians of the golden
age of Greece were about as far ahead
of us today as we are now ahead of the
African negro, a statement which may
be commended to the thoughtful con-
sideration of American Fourth of July
orators. The mean level of the whole
human race the world over, however, is
higher in the judgment of Mr.. Wallace
than it was in the time of ancient
Greece. Agencies are constantly at
work, some tending to depress the moral
and intellectual level, others to raise it,
They work, now up now down, and by
balancing these activities we can arrive
at the true average.
The second generally accepted propo-
sition denied by Professor Wallace is
that acquired peculiarities of character
or physique can be transmitted. Oar
win believed they could be. The school
of thinkers at the head of whom are
Francis Gallon and Professor Weismann
deny that they can be. Briefly put,
they declare that "there is no transmits
sion of acquired characters" What is
transmitted is the capacity to develop
into form more or less closely resem-
bling that of the parents or their direct
ancestors" For instance, bear may
be driven upon hot plate, forced to
dance at the same time that hand
organ is played, and ever after when he
hears the hand organ he will begin to
dance; but it is not at all likely that his
descendants will be born dancers, not
one of them.
Are we then to be left altogether with
out hope for the advancement of the
race? VIII nothing, none of our efforts
to help mankind, to raise them to better
environments and higher plane of civ
ilization be of any avail2 Not in the
way of transmitting by inheritance the
virtue we educate into them, answers
Mr.. Wallace. Mankind may, probably
will, grow better, healthier and hand,
somer, but by other means.
And in the judgment of Mr.. Wallace
mankind may well be thankful that &C
quired characters cannot be transmitted
If they could be, then just as much &C
quired bad as good would be handed
down from generation to generation
and the race would die out, for the ten
dency of evil is self destructive. If &C
quired qualities could be transmitted
then the greed and avarice, the dis
honesty, sharp practice, cheating an(
, lying that characterize the trade anC
commerce of our time would be trans
mitted in intensified form to the mex
generation and woe to mankind.
But there are agencies at work which
Professor Wallace relies on to bring VI
the high water mark of human virtu
and intelligence. One of these is tn
wedding out by natural destruction an
decay of the vicious, sickly and crimina
classes. Many of the lowest classes o
humanity have large families, but thes
do not live long. Good people who hav
clear consciences and take care of thei
health live longer and leave more chill
dren to inherit long life than the drunk
ards and criminals do.
, The other agency, "by far the NOR
important for the future" is the law @
natural selection as it will come int
play through the freedom and highe
education of woman. When women 81
cure all their freedom, so that they ar
pecuniarily independent, capable of tai
l ing care of themselves, then no woma
. will be obliged to marry some horri
old mental, physical and moral deforn
+ ity for the sake of a home and fooC
. Women will not then marry till the
+ find their ideal man. Drunkards, inca
: men and i'll favored men will not MARI
at all, because no woman will hay
+ them. Men and women beautiful
o mind and body will wed one anothe
!. first and always, by the law of natur'
selection, transmitting their fine quail
!. ties to their children, and thus the lev
of the race will be raised. With Il
liberty and pecuniary independence I
women the law of natural selection
e the human, for the first time in the hi
y tory of civilization, will have free pla
At least such is the judgment of Profe
l. ] r,-