The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-07
A BAD OUTLOOK,
Professor Buchanan Upon
Education.
With All Our Advancement, He
Says, Pauperism, Crime and In
sanity Are on the Increase.

The lecture delivered by Professor
Joseph Rhodes Buchanan in Albion Hall,
AlcaZar building, before the San Francisco
Federation of Women, yesterday after
noon, was startling in its statements and
dramatic in the earDestness with which it
was delivered. The audience listened
throughout with deep interest.
Ethical Education" was the subject of
the lecture, and in defining education Pro-
fessor Buchanan said, at is the omnipo-
tent power that governs the universe. :"
1t soon became evident, however, that
education in its ordinarily accepted sense
was n OF the object OF the lecturers COM
mendation. Indeed, he declared emphati-
cally that the higher education, which is
the boast of so many countries to-day. has
been proved by statistics to be a failure.
Society has one-twelfth to One-sixth of
It's mem bers in state of pauperism. This
condition Of things is growing all the time.
In New York pauperism doubles in thirty
years. Crime, drunkenness. insanity and
suicide are increasing in spite of our So
called progress.
Instead of education being a preven-
tive of insanity it seems to add to it. The
most highly educated races are al present
no more advanced In that respect than
barbarians. In crime it is the same story,
for during the last forty years il has in
creased fOurfold. Physical superiority has
not advanced with the higher education.
Half the candidates for military recruits
have recently been rejected in Europe on
account of physical inferiority. Germany
has led the world in education, till half her
students have become myopes."
Speaking of the other European coun-
frfa al NfDz, -
the lecturer continued "And in those
favored lands they have a constantly in
creasing list OF crime and insanity The
general effect of education has been TO be-
little industry and make the student de-
sire profession or intellectual contem-
plation rather than manual labor"
TIE lecturer then touched upon the
present condition of society. You have"
he said, two dangerous classes developed
by the present sIate of things. There is
the dangerously wealthy class and the
equally dangerous class of extreme poy-
erty. Sooner or later these TWO classes
must clash. Disraeli, who was not a
philanthropist but an aStute statesman,
foresaw and spoke Of the coming conflict
between extreme wealth and extreme
poverty"
Professor Buchanan proceeded to quote
other authorities on the subject of the
dangers incurred by the contrast between
extreme WealIn anu extreme poverty, and
continued: These are not matters that
we can set aside. like common political
discussions. The danger to our country
is that poverty and despair may stimulate
men into action. | do not think it is a
time for studying fashion plates. for read
ing the hidden meanings of Browning.
We ant an Immediate remedy. Tie
radical cure for fire Is freproof build
ing"
After thus briefly sketchipg the dangers
and the needs of the present condition of
society, many Of the statements used being
supported by the reading of statistical
facts, the lecturer expressed his opinion
of the position that women should play in
the history of a country Dy the remark.
THE only nation that has even given
woman anything like her right place was
ancient Egypt, and that has stood AT the
head of the worlds civilization"
The audience. which had listened with