The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-11-19
ARE WE CIVILIZED?

Science Monthly for November discuss
es this question. After sketching what
the writer conceives to be the necessa-
ry marks and accomplishments OF civil
ization he proceeds:
When judged by this standard, one
that few persons in every community
have already reached, the American
people can hardly be said to have at
tanned civilization. In fact, they are in
many respects still on the level of bar
barians, deficient in self-control, obliv-
ious to the rights and feelings of 9TH
ers Incapable of grasping the less OBJ
vious but more important results Of a
given line of conduct, and even given
over to actual lawlessness and crime.
They may shudder at Armenian massa-
cres and feel that the Turk deserves the
soltcitude of the hangman. They may
denounce with a Carlylean wealth of
eptthet the Spanish cruelties in Cuba,
which are in reality nothing more than
the inevitable accompaniment of war,
and clamor for an intervention that
will put an end to them in the interest
of humanity. But have they earned the
right to set themselves up as interna-
tional philanthropists, when their own
hearthstone, according to DR.. Andrew
d. White, is made red every year with
the blood of more than ten thousand
victims Of the homicide? Do their gem
erous contributions to domestic chart
ties and foreign missions entitle them
to distinction as model representatives
of Christian civilization, when mobs Of
leading citizens in New York and Ohio,
as we'll as in various southern states,
lynch negroes charged with crimes that
have not been proved? Has not Chris
tian civilization some conquests to
make in q land where, as in New Or
leans, Italians are murdered with the
approval of public sentiment and, as
in many parts of the west. the treat
ment Of Chinese is hardly less savage
than that of European missionaries IN
the most benighted districts of the Ce-
lestial empire? Is it not clear also
that barbarism has yet to be abolished
where striking workmen burn down
| property and assail the men ready to
| take their places with a ferocity that
| the followers OF Attila might have en-
WED?
But it is not such obvious facts as
these that Justify the sneering smile of
| Americans in regard to their civiliza-
ton. Certain conspicuous features OF
our public policy are not less indicative
of the tastes and instincts of q barba-
rism. Take for one example, the pro-
won Of the constitution of the state OF
New York that restricts prison labor.
Had the convention that framed 1t
proposed that, in order to relieve the
commonwealth. of its criminal burden,
certain number OF prisoners should be
| strangled everv month, what an out
burst of horror throughout the country
there would have been! But the pro-
vision actually adopted by the picked
representatives of the people and after
ward approved by the people them
selves Is hardly less atrocious. The
idleuess it enforces Is driving prison.
ers mad Yet there is more effort to
stop cruelty to animals and to throttle
science by putting an end to vtvisec-
ton than there is to suppress this
form Of atroeity. Take, for another
example, the law recently passed that
will either enhance the price or vitiate
the quality of every commodity ON
which a protective duty is levied. A
people really civilized could no more
have permitted it to be placed on the
statute books than they could permit
thieves to rob the poor OF a part or
their food and clothing, making it more
difficult for them to live, and thus in
creasng the suffering that philanthro-
pists and social reformers are seeking
in endless ways to alleviate. 1t would
have seemed to them nothing less than
barbarous to pass q law that not only
makes it more difficult for their own
countrymen to live, but deprives peo-
pie in foreign countries, like the Welsh
tin-plate makers and the Australian
button makers, of means OF
livelihood Take, for still another ex-
ample. the imperfect international
copyright law. People that appreciate
in but a very indistinct manner the ex-
ietence of property in ideas and refuse
to protect it effectively do not meet the
requirements of the definition or CIVIL
cation.
80 enormously has the policy OF ag-
erosion grown within the past rev
years; 50 Indifferent have people be-
come to the fundamental duty OF hu'
man society, namely, the maintenance
of order and the enforcement OF JUS
tice; little wonder that a spirited for
eign policy is now one of the most
cherished ideals of the American peo-
pie 1t is only an extension of the do
nestle aggression to the field of for
egn politics. People that violate In
cessantly and without the slightest
compunction the rights of one another
no matter what fine motives they may
, give themselves in justification, are
certain to be deficient in respect for the
rights of the foreigner. Not In neg
alive way alone by the passage of ia
riff and anti-immigration acts will they
attack him. But they will attack hin
positively, issuing clustering declara
tons OF defiance and insult, proposing
the violation of the laws of nations II
order to interfere in behalf of rebel
lious subjects, conniving at conspiracie
to overthrow a monarchical govern
ment in the interest Of a more demo
cratic one, and making elaborate prep
arations on land and sea to engage II
! any conflict that may be provoked.
1.-The induction to be made from al
, examination of these phenomena o
American social and political life il
obvious. 1t is that we shall neve
reach the highest civilization by tn
path that we are pursuing so energeti
\, ot, rD1F ST a