Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-10-11
EVILS OF CIVILIZATION.

poloCist and Psychologist. Te con-
demned, almost without res 5rvation,
all Attempts TO spread civilization
amOng the inferior races II the world.
His criticism was applied even to such
sO-called elementar' forms OF educa-
tion as reading AID writing. He con-
tended that the -reatest problems
awaiting solution are the conditions
and rate OF assimilation OF the races,
or what period and kind of life is
needed for climatic and other causes
to have effect on the constitution and
structure. What are the causes Of
permanence OF type and what relative
powers of absorption has one race over
another?
Tae professor asks for an anthropo-
logical museum or storehouse on
large scale. He insists that the civil
iLatlon of any race is not system
that can be changed at will and con-
tlnues:
eve may despotically force a bald
and senseless imitation Of our ways on
another people, but we shall only de-
stroy their life without implantsng
any vitality 10 its place. No change
is legitimate or beneficial to the real
character Of a people except what
tlows from conviction aud natural
growth of mind, and II the imposition
OF foreign system is injurious, how
miserable is the forcing Of a system
such as ours, which is the most COM
plex, unnatural and artificial that has
heen known, a system developed in a
cold country, amid one of the hardest,
least sympathetic, most self-denying
and calculating Of all the people Of
the world. Such system, the pro.
duct of such extreme conditions, we
attempt to force on the least devel-
opcd races and expect from them i'm
plicit subservlence to our illogical law
and our Inconsistent morality.
"The result is death. We make a
death house and call 1t civilization.
Scarcely single race can bear the
burden, and then we talk cCInplaeent.
ly about the mysterious decay Of saw
ages before white men,"
AS an Illustration OF his theories the
professor referred to the European
lied Egyptian, whom he describes as
In most cases the mere blOtting paper
of civilization, absorbing what is most
superficial and undesirable. He as
serted that the Egyptian who has had
reading and writing thrust on him is,
in every case he met with, half-witted,
silly or incapable Of taking care Of
himself. His intellect and health
were undermined and crippled by the
forcing of education. He continues:
"The general impression in England
is that reading, writing and arlthme-
tic are elements of education. They
might be so to us, but they assuredly
are not so to other races. The exQul-
site art and noble architecture OF Ny
GENE, the undying song of Homer,
che extensive trade OF the bronze age,
all belonged to people who never read
or wrote. Some of my best friends in
Egypt are happily ignorant Of such ac-
complishments, and assuredly / never
encourage them to any such useless
waste OF their brains. The great es-
sentials of valuable character, mOder-
alton, Justice sympathy, politeness
and consideration, quick observation,
shrewdness, keen sense Of the uses
aud properties OF things, all these are
qualities on which / value my Egyptl-
an friends, aud such qualities are what
should be evolved by any education
worth the name. No brain. however
humble, will be worse for such educa-
tion, which is hourly in use, while in
the practical life of a simple cOmmu-
nifty the accomplishments OF reading
and writing are not needed perhaps
for a week or menth at time.
''The keenest interest 10 taken by
some races, probably by all, in geog-
raphy, modes OF government, social
systems and in most countries the ele-
ments of hygiene and improvements
in dwellings aud in the arts of life may
be taught with the best results.
There is, therefore, wide field for
Mr.. and Mrs. Loren TresOOtt are
keepers OF the government lighthouse
at Sand Beach, Mich, and are blessed
with a daughter four years old. Last
April she was taken down with
measles, followed with a dreadful
cough aud turning into fever. Doc
tors at home and at Detroit treated
her, but In vain, she grew worse rap
idly until she was a mere handful OF