The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-09
PROBLEM OF HEREDITY
1T IS ABLY DISCUSSED AT THE
PARLOR CONFERENCE
It's Physical, Intellectual and Eth
teal Bearings Are Explained by
Students Of the Subject-Secret
of the Solution Lies With the IA
rents-PrOper Environment.

The Associated Charities of st. Paul
held it's twenty ninth conference last
evening at the residence Of DIR. Alex
ander J. Stone No. 301 Summit avenue.
There were more than one hundred
people present. Rev. DR.. s. G. smith
presided. Among those present were:
Prof. w. G. Curtiss, Emerson w.
son. Mr.. and Mrs. Frank D. Willis,
Mrs c. D. Smith Brother" Emery.
Off Sohlberg, Rufus H. Hoyt, Mr.. and
Mrs E. M. McFetridge and party, w.
L. Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. T. c. Field,
Francis P. Corning, P. L. Uttleby, M.
A. Robb. Ambrose Pierce, the Misses
Hough, John Caulfleld, M. Mealey, w.
w. Howard, Miss Clara Sommers MISS
Minnie L. Timberlake, Miss Kate keat-
ing and DR.. and Mrs f. II. Odendanl.
The subject of the conference was
"Heredity' and the different branches
of the subjects treated were: THE Ply
steal Problem by DIR. Arthur Sweeney;
"The Educational Problem" by Miss
Estelle M. Darrah; 1.-THE Ethical Prob
lem by the Rev. DR.. P. X. Heftron,
and '.The Charity Problem by the Rev:
George F. Soper. At the conclusion OF
the reading of the papers, there was
general discussion, participated IN py
DR.. Smith, Professor Curtlss, kew. u.
+. Savage, LII. "a. D. S'
Laura Hand.
s,The question of heredity," said DR.:
Sweeney, sis interesting from every pElnt
of view 1t is natural for US to expect tnat
when we SOW wheat we should reap tne
same. that when we NOW the grasses from
the meadow, by some mysterious Iolcs 1ne
same abundant harvest will be replaced.
1.-THE transmission Of acquired qualities OF
be,nes "a really the basis of evolution. The
transmission Of mental traits and quallLles
is as less definite than the physical. the
advancement Of civilization has peen more
rapid than the development OF the brain
power of certain of the race.
Mature has cast us as in mold, adapt
ing us as well as she can to the PURPOSES
of our life and has given us the physlcai
endowments which shape our future. Alone
Left to ourselves our lives are as arbis
trarily marked out for us as the courses OF
the planets. We are what our cellular
protoplasmic organization shall determine,
unless we are acted upon by other ln1u-
redity is. there is a force Infinitely greater,
potentfality vastly more intelligent in
spired by higher and more, noble pur-
pose. Education is the saving clause use IN tae
which. acting slowly and without apparent
results upon the Individual. impresses upon
the species its benefcent and powerful IN,
fuence. By this means the mental and
physical gifts of heredty are trained and
developed, so that from the blind DEGREES
of fate we are satisfied to accomplish the
fullest ana uoSI CoAipAe.o P"A PoSo VA '~N
existence.
Tn treating Of 1.-The Educational Prob
1ern'' Miss Darrah said among other
things:
Education has to deal with three classes,
the At the unfit and the f1ttest. Our unit
forms a very small minority. There are
two Influences at work in the development
NJ the race degeneration and the survival
Of the fittest. The vitality of our ancestors
was vigorous; the resulting race Is emil
nently At to survive. The weak have either
been unable to reproduce themselves be-
cause of increasing competition, for food
and clothing, or their children have been
unable to survive.
From a theoretical standpoint. we have
| no right to assume the utter unntness at
| conception of any living being, though hys-
| tericai conditions and improper nourish-
| ment of the mother may bring the child into
the world an inevitable failure. Moreover.
| experience bears out this generalization.
Even in that greatly overworked family,
| the Jukes, sx-sevenths OF whose fO9 regis
tered members are criminals, children taken
| at birth into good surroundings grow up
| decent and Industrious. Of the supposedly
unfit inmates. of the Elmira reformatory,
SO per cent are reformed. With much less
| rigid commitment laws, 70 per cent of our
| own state training school graduates are at
work and doing we'll. A family which has
| furnished four thieves to the state school
| has seen all four returned to become honest
workmen.
| The speaker recommended:
! l. Free opportunity for the httest to
| realize their plan unhampered by a required
| routine.
| Q. School physicians to forcibly remove
from parents children being made unfit by
| drink. tobacco, immortality or disease.
8. course of study flexible enough to
| allow special cases special treatment.