The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-27

pelled to cancel his engagement hefe. Professor Franklin H. Giddings of New York began the exercises, he reading 8 paper on the subject "Is the Term 'So- ciaI Classes' a Scientific Category" The paper was a scientific essay and drew forth applause from the audience.
 The paper on the "Elberfield System, y by pr. c. R. Henderson of Chicago, was read by title only.
 Professor E. R. L. Gould of Balti- more spoke upon "The Statistical Study of Hereditary Criminality." In con- cluddng he summed up in saying Per sonally I regret that the study of hered- itary criminality is hedged about with extreme difficulties. Were we able to get clearer apprehensions of the real facts and views which now pass for scientific world, in all probability De labeled morbid and sentimental. There is great danger i'm emphasizing heredity and by contrast minimizing the lnnu- ences of environment and individual responsibility. Consequences doubly unfortunate must ensue. Individual stamina will be weakened and society made to feel less keenly the duty of re- forming environment. It is not a bet ter to postulate the widest range of free choice than to preach the doctrine of a. fettered will and so elevate crimin- ality and propitiatory sacrifice.
 SOCIOLOGICAL INSTRUCTION, ITS
 FEASIBILITY AND PROBABLE
 RESULTS,
 Following Professor Gould, Professor H. H. Powers of Northampton, Mass, read a paper on Sociological Instruc- ton i'm Schools and Colleges; Its Feas- ibiliay and Probable Results" In the correa of his renarks he said: Tt seems incredible that in a democracy, colleges should so generally think poli- tics an unnecessary subject for instruc- tion, and that schools supported by the state should not rnention the art or the duties of citizenship. Dishonest and bungling political action is am enviable result. So important a social institu- ton aus the family is seldom mentioned even in colleges, apparently not be- cause there is, a general surfeit of in telligence or practical wisdom on the subject. And i'm all these matters so profoundly concerning human welfare, change is impending or in progress; the spell of tradition is broken. But all this means that there is perhaps abso- lute need of greater intelligence and social wisdom with the view to the conscious direction of society How ever much we may believe in the con- trol of social evolution by reason and human effort, study of society cam not but convince us that changes must be slow to be either wholesome or per manent, and that effort spent on merely proximate causes is intellectual. These conclusions are not agreeable to those who organize crusades. It is one of the painful incidents of science that the student is so often called upon to part company with the reformer The fervid appeals and enthusiastic cham pionship by which he seeks to enlist men into a grand reforming mob grate harshly on the ears or oue who sees the difficulties of bettering society while the other sees only it's desirabHity Af- ter few vain attempts to inoculate a little science into these reformers while they are charging at double quick, the student is apt to give up the at tempt and to seem henceforth unfriend- ly to reform"
 SCIENCE AND SENTIMENT IN ECO
 NoMIC POLICY.
 Professor Arthur T. Hadley of New Haven was the next speaker, his sub ject being, Science and Sentiment in Economic Policy" Tn the course of his address he said: "Take the case of tax laws. Practical experience has
 Nf Aax fs, things rather than persons if we wish to make fiscal systems effective the principle of "stoppage at source" as 1t is called. Tax the corporation rather than the stockholders in the corpora ton and the honest and dishonest will pay alike Tax mortgaged real estate at dts full value and thus reach the lem der individually, instead of trying to make him declare directly the amount of mortgaged instruments which he owns.
 "The economic laws by which taxes are paid indirectly these men can not or will not see. Tn the direct pursuit of justice by short cut they defeat their own ends. They pass law com pelting every mann to declare his per- sonal property and pay taxes upon it. The personal property of widows and orphans and of a few exceptionally hon. est men is declared, and pays double and triple taxes, while the rest escape. Of all the economic evils under which honest men suffer, few are more bur- densome than those which arise from unintelligent attempts to secure equity in taxation.
 "Or take the case of currency legis-. lation-men who are moved with sym pathy for the debtors in the present crisis, think that a cheaper dollar would be an advantage. They see that a man who has debt to pay could do it easier if there were more dollars in the country; they therefore advocate imitation in the interest of the debtor classes. This is all right for a man who has borrowed money and a debt to pay. But how about the man who wants to borrow money for the future The advocates of cheap money think that there will be more dollars to borrow. But by the same paper every borrower will want more dollars to do given work. The borrowers want capital, not money. If there is 50 per cent. more money i'm the country prices will go up 50 per cent to the borrower, who before wanted $1,000, now wants $15OO He has thus received no gain from the -,e T., Ha,