The Washington times., 1894-04-08

much the richer and happier. Univeesais self
sacrifice Is a meaningless conception. II one
person sacrifices himself or herself for the
sake of another, 1t Is in order to make that
other the happier. And II the other too
lightly accepts the sacrifice there Is wrong
and injustice. Most often. indeed, we feel
called upon to sacrifice ourselves through
some act of selfish or wrongdoing on the
part Of our neighbors. Sacrifice is then in
itself by no means good thing; at best It is
but pis-aller. It is forced upon us as bad
necessity by untoward circumstances. II
Others could be as happy without the need for
our sacrificing ourselves we should all be
gamers. But Christianity has so exalted this
false ideal of self-sacrihce as in itself good
thing that most people are genuinely shocked
to hear 1t even called in question. They do
not see that they are apologizing for injustice
and setting up an impossible and nugstory
standard Of moral action. Indeed they are
afraid to reason upon ethical subjects at all,
less their whole house Of cards should come
down about their ears and collapse eterually
Self-development, on the contrary, is an
aim for allan aim which will make all
stronger, and saner, and wiser, and better 1t
will make each in the end more helpful to
humanity. To be sound in wind and limb,
to be healthy Of body and mind. to be edu-
Gated, to be emancipated, to be free, to be
beautiful-these things are ends toward
which all should strain, and by attaining
which all are happier in themselves and more
useful to others. That is the central idea of
the new hedonism. We see clearly that it is
good for every man among US that he and
every other man should be as tall, as strong,
as well knit, as supple, as wholesome, as
effective. as free from vice or defect as pos
sible. We see clearly that it is his first duty
to make his own muscles, his own organs,
his own bodily functions US perfect as he can
make them. and to transmit them in like per-
III l.
clearly that 1t is good for every woman among
US that she and every other woman should
be as physically developed and as finely
equipped for her place as mother as 1t is Dos
sible to make herself. We see that it Is good
for every woman that there should be such
men. and for every man that there should be
such women. We see it is good for every
child that it should be born OF such father
and such a mother. We see that to prepare
ourselves for the duties of paternity by max
ing ourselves as vigorous and healthful as we
can be, Is duty we all owe to our children
unborn and to one another. We see that to
sacrifice ourselves, and inferentially them, is
not good thing in itself, but rather thing
to be avoided where practicable, and only to
be recommended in the last resort as an un-
satisfactory means OF escape from graver
evils. We see that each man and each woman
holds his virility and her feminity in trust
for humanity, and that to play fast and loose
with either, at the bidding OF priests or the I
behest of puritans, is a bad thing In itself,
and is fraught with danger for the state and
for future generations.
And what is thus true OF the body corporal
is true also of the body spiritual, Intellectual.
aesthetic. 1t is the duty OF every one among
us to develop himself and herself to the high
est possible point, freely, in every direction.
1t is our duty to think as far as we can think;
to get rid of all dogmas. preconceptions. and
preiudi"es; to make sure we are not tied by
false fears or vague terrors; to examine all
faiths all beliefs. all fancies, all shibboleths,
political, religious, social, moral. It is our
duty TO make ourselves acquainted, as far as
we can, with the universe around US. and
every part Of it: to know what is known of
sun, moon. and stars, planet. comet, and
nebula; of beast, bird. and fish, tree. herb,
and fungus; of human origins and human
life; OF institutions and laws. the right and
the wrong Of them. 1t is our duty to search
and probe into all these things; taking moth
ing for granted, accepting nothing on author
ity; testing all we are told by teacher or
preacher. by priest or savant, by moralist
or schoolmaster. We should each of us ar
rive at a consistent theory OF the universe for
ourselves and OF our own place in 1t. By SO
doing not only shall We develop our own in
tellectual selves, but we shall be better, wiser,
and more useful citizens. We shall know
mans life and the state We live in; we shall
know the general trend of human evolution
and whittier our own community and all others
are tending. We shall be able more surely to
forecast the future, more wisely to help on
the good that comes; to refrain from propping
up the evil that is or from obstructing and
retarding the better things that are to be.
Our self-development will be 10000 times
more useful to the world at large than any
amount OF self-sacrifice to single individual.
The matter OF divorce, says the Chau-
tauquan, is assuming large proportions
in this country, and any compari-
son of our divorce statistics with
those of other countries is simply appalling.
In Ireland these is one divorce to every TO-
600 marriages, there are ten in France.
thirteen il England, fourteen in Russia,
twenty eight in Italy, fosty-one in Australia,
fifty-four in Belgium. and 1t5 in Prussian |
Germany. In the United States there are
more divorces granted than in all the rest of
the world combined The record goes beyond |
25. 900 annually and the number is rapidly in |
creasing. The increase in the number. of |
divorces granted in the United States in the
twenty years ending in 1856 was 30 per |
cent. In the same percentage Of increase |
in the number of divorces granted |
should continue indefinitely. at the end of |
fifty years about one-fourth of all marriages |
in this country would be annulled by divorce |
and 100 years from now fully one-half OF all /
would be terminated in this way. |
Obviously this is a growing evil. The enact |
nent OF laws which are more Uniform, and |
which will place severe restrictions upon the !
growth OF the divorce trade, will undoubtedly |
work much good. The real remedy how |
ever. must come through the moral uplift of |
the nstion and the acquirement OF an individ- |
uul spirit which will combat the growth OF !
this pernlcious business, for it has already |
assumed that status.