The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-29
CIVILIZATION A CURSE.

London, Sept 29-The following is
the text of Professor Flinders Petrie's
remarks on the effects of modern civil
iation in his address before the British
aSSociat ton today:
1.-The foremost principal which should
be always in view is that the civiliZa-
ton Of any race is not a system which
can be changed at will. Every citizen
can be changed at will. Every civili-
zation is the growing product OF very
complex set of conditions, depending
on race and character. on climate. on
trade. and every minutia Of the circum-
stances. To attempt to alter such a
system apart from its conditions Is
impossible No change is legitimate
or beneficial to the real character OF a
people except what flows from convic-
ton and the natural growth OF the
mind. And II the imposition OF for
eign system such as ours, which is the
most complex, unnatural, and artificial
that has been known; a system devel-
oped in cold country, amid one OF the
hardest least sympathetic. and most
self-denying and calculating OF all clas-
ses of the world. The result is death.
we make a dead-house and call IL civil
ization. Scarcely a single race can
/ bear the contact and the burden. And
then we talk complacently about the
white men.
Let US turn now to our attempts
on a higher race. the degenerated and
Arabized descendants % q grea: peo-
pie, the Egyptians. Here is mucn abil-
ity to work on, and also a good stand
ard OF comfort and mortality. conform
able 10 our notions. Yet the planting
OF another civilization is scarcely 10 be
borne by them The European Egyp-
l. - fr.~-
ting-paper Of civilization absorbing
what is most superficial and undesir-
able. Yet some will say. why not plant
all we can? What can be the harm Of
raising the intellect in some cases u
We cannot do 1t In all2 The harm Is
that you manufacture idiots, Some OF
the peasantry are taught 10 read and
write. and the result OF this burden
which their fathers bore not Is tha; they
become fools cannot say thts TOO
plainly: an Egyptian who has had read
ing and writing thrust upon him H. in
every case that l have met villa. half
witted. silly. or incapable Of taking
care OF himself His intellect and bis
health have been undermined and Grip
pied BY the forcing of education With
the Copt this is quite different: his ia
theirs have been scribes for thousands
OF years. and his capacity - far great
CT. 50 that be can receive much more
without deterioration Observation Of
these people leads 20 the view that the
average man cannot receive much more
knowledge than his immediate sncssf-
ors What. then. II may be asked. can
BE- done TO elevate other races Hov
can we benefit them? Meet certainly
not By Europ~niZsnS them By real ed
ucation. leading out the mind 10
natural and solid growth. much can Be
done bat not hy enforcing a mass os
accomplishments and artatciaIit;ss OF
LIFE
Our bIgo.sd belief IN reading ard
writing - not in the least justified
when we look az the mass of mankind
The exquisite at AID noble zre1ttec-
tur~ at Myxenae. ire Usdyirg sag %
Homer the extensive trade Of The
bronze age al belonged 10 people sso
never rad or wrote TIE great essen
tails Of 8 valuable chzsacte--n3o&>rs-
ton. justice. sympathy, 9o.sferssss- z5d
consideration sssek sSssrvSf<o1.