The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-11-26
4 GRANGE
STORY,

a a!h"NuI EiIE NEW ORLEANS PlCAYUNE says: "From time TO
SiuRl 1 time some supposed scientific anthropoogsts rise up
and propose that the human race Shall be improved by hl'lag off all the fee
b1-mmdea and sckIybo1te1 and the criminal classes, and the aged, and re-
tanning only those who are physically andinteIectuall vigorous and morally
Just who is to select these members OF the community who are to be
killed of in such a summary manner does not appear. but as The possesser of
such absolute authority would have to be endowed with divine attributes, it
would he difficult to lind any person to whom the people of any community
or country would commit such power Of life and death.
Such a proposition to eliminate summariY all the physically, intelec-
tuJy aa morally weak persons in the same country would involve the dis
pe0stug w1tha ali Aepnaeses and means of physical, mental and moral refor-
nation. There would be no need of physicians for either body or mind, nor
for the cure Of souls Charity, mercy and pity would be blotcd out of hui
man life, bctauSe there would no longer be any OF the weaknesses or lapcs
that would call for such ministrations.
Some such sort Of human ethics has been praciced among savage peo-
pcs Of every age. being carried to the extent of killing off the physcanyd dis
abcd and the AGED. Its the same course pursued by wild beasts, which
turn upon their sick and wounded mates and put them to death. This is
said to be specially q characteristic of wolves, 1t is worthy of such savage
beasts, but as a policy it should have no place among civilized and Christian
lied races.
In this connection a strange narrative comes from the United States
consul at Negales, Mexico, who was sent to investigate the fate of a party
Of Americans, who were reported to have been murdered by the Serbs IN
dams, VITO ihhabt TIburon Island, in the Gulf of California. There seems
to be no donbtthat the part in question were murdered by those Indians
who are remarkably fierce and extremely hostile to strangers. The Ameri
cans, who were seeking special sorts Of sea- shells in the waters of the gulf,
are known to have landed on the island and were never afterward seen.
Consul Long reports to the state department at Washington that the.
island Of Tlburon is one Of the largest and most picturesque in the Gulf of
California, and is peoped by a most remarkable tribe Of Indians, who are.
noted for tneir large size and extraordinary athletics on land and in the wa
ter. Those who have witnessed their aquatic sports at arcspectful distance
declare that many of them can actually walk. or rather run, upon the water.
with no other assistance than broad rawhtde shoes They are, writes the
consul, expert hshermer and huntsnen, having rigid ideas as to the mante-
nance OF game preserves on their iSiand, and limiting the killing OF game
under severe penalties
These indians, it is said, destroy all children in infarcy that are NAL
formed or appear tobo lacking in intelligence. In this way the standard of
physical and mental condttonsin both sexes is kept very high. 1t is cur
renty believed that at one time the native women were extermnated to
make room gr q whittier and superior race of females. The nucleus of this
race OF higher women was formed from capuvos made ut various times ex-
tending oyara series Of year.. on land and Wator They have no schools,
but each h ,mo has u system OF physical training. The natives guard their
shores day and night, and no man is allowed to pcnetratc the island, even il
he should make . landing. II ss 9d Tint noepideHics have ever prevailed
on the island, and disease hssearcey knewa among this extraordinary peo-
pie. so that the men and women are magnificent In their physical eadow-
mcnt. No man or woman is allowed to live beyond the age of 10 years, no
matter how well preserved in body and mind. BY careful selection a large
percentage Of The women have a transparent, peachy complexion and deep
auburn hair.
Here is pracicli example for the alleged SCIENTISTS who want 10 i'm
prove the human race on a basis whohy physical and material
To above Is indeed a resilrEalhe story. 1t has more of the ring Of
romasqa thAN eAl fact, There may By, and, probably is a few threads
OF truth running through 1t, but the greater prs 1t impres@s us as pure
innocent fiction. Consul Long Is cYidcnty not without the gift of a most
fertile i'm iginatloa, His paper is rollab,, bit of course the facts, as
stated, are taSen with a small spgi1kiins of suit "A t., the practice of kill
ing the weddings of the race b,ny c,ailed solely to savage peoples, history
does not sustain the position OF the pHlyuae. That Is il the word
I" savage, rs to be taken in the sense in which til IS ordinary used.
1t is a most brbrols psl;tc, horrible in all of its aspects. But it
was pa1ticQl by the Greeks when Lyclrgas was their ruler, and the Greeks
at that ting could nat BE- cAisaa with savage people. Indeed there are.
marks OF civilization which ehractartzal the government Of this people
which some Of our modern writers on social question: mlintain as the highest
torn Of scientific human government.
II was during the reign Of Lycurgus that some OF the ideas taught by
Edward Rslamg were put to the practical test. In 50 far, as 1t were pos
stNe, at that time, he established a perfect system Of communism. Every
body WIS fed from q common source. and the wealth OF the nation was owned
largely in common. From the system established by Lycurgus, many hMs-
sings followed. Indeed the good effects were felt for more than a half dozen
centuries.
As suggested by the Picayune, the island Tibuvn affords a wide field.
for scumife investigation, and 1t Is to be hoped that 1t will not remain I'M
used or unoccunied very long.