The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-14
THE FRIDAY MORNING CLUB
Heredity Versus Training the
Subject Yesterdays
BOTH SIDES ABLY ARGUED
DR.. Bridge and Prof. Search the Leading
Speakers
Scientific Exposition Of the H,oted Question
Followed by an Interesting General
Discussion by the Audience

The Friday Morning club room was the
scene of a lively tilt yesterday when
Heredity as set forth by DR.. Norman Bridge
was placed against Training in the hands
of Prof. Preston W. Search. However, no
one was seriously hurt. and many, from
the amount of spoils carried away, had
much food for serious thought and refiec-
don. DR.. Bridge in beginning said that Of
all animals man has the least instinct.
IAN infant" he continued, ''is the most
helpless of all living creatures. At birth
he possesses only the two faculties of cry
ing and closing the lips and retracting the
tongue. All the rest is acquired by prac-
tice and trial, and this growth takes up a
quarter of a century. Most qualities are
inherited but the transmission is scarcely
apparent at birth. In outward appearance
resemblance to one or the other of the par
ents or blending of some of both of their
characteristics is apparent in form. size,
gait, voice, etc. Three-fourths of the sim
ilarities are traced directly to the parents.
one-fourth to early parentage. The inner
fibre of every being is inherited in like pro-
portion. Emotions are transmitted as well
as the shape tof the tissue. Like father
like son seems to fail in the instance of a
the child is addicted to cards and fast
horses, but similarity of force exists, the
only difference being that it is not under
stood that it is the veriest shade of change
that evolves an imbecile from a genius.
TOO much unlikeness or too much SINH
larity in parents is often productive of
weakness in their offspring, and greatness
rarely continues more than two genera
tons. The greatest intellects have come
from fair or mediocre intelligence. but 1T
must have been well balanced. Vigor of
body and tranquility of the nervous sys-
tenn tell for more than everything else. In
opposing the factors of heredity and
training our minds revert to the one thing,
the child. The tendency of the child is in
grained and stays. We cannot alter the
tendency of conduct. We overlook the
fact that from infancy to age human
being passes through many phases of
character. He may be ready at sometime
in his youth for lookup and may develop
h CHER qualities later that fit him to become
.most honored member of society,""
Here the speaker quoted Tolstoi as an eX.
ample. Continuing he said:
1--WE do not overlook training, but we do
not believe in cruelty beating our children
for bad qualities they may have inherited
from us. Training hayward children il
fruitless. 1t is useless to spend time to
rid boy OF his loutish habits. II he has
them he will continue to have them until
the birth of self-consciousness produces a
change. he will normally evolve himself
out of his loutishness if you let him alone.
loo much training has driven boys from
harmless roquery to crime. Shall a man
be punished for hereditary oiienses is a
question that needs attention. The law is
memorable to all but the insane. We
shouldI cultivate that charity which for.