The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-18
BOOKS OF The HOUR
"HEREDTTY AND HUMAN PROG
RESS" NOTABLE ADDITION TO
SOCIAL LITERATURE

"HEREDITY AND HUMAN PROG
RESs. NOTABLE ADDITION TO
SOCIAL LITERATURE
FRENCH REVOLUTION ROMANCE
t'The White Terror" Tale Dealing
With n New Phase of the Great
Struggle Between the Classes
''The Waters of Eden" by Ouida,
RepIete With the characteristics
OF the Popular Author.
"Heredity and Human Progress" w.
duncan Mekim. NJ D., Phi, D. e.. P.
Putnams Sons. New York and London.
Beyond all comparison the greatest So
cial problem of modern times is that OF
the most humane and rational disposition
OF the defective and criminal classes of
society. How vast a problem 1t is, on
the surface even, appears plain when
one reflects that in the principal state or
the Union every man, woman and child
is taxed 81 per annum for the mainte-
nance of institutions designed for the care
OF the detectives of its chief city.
This book is designed to promote the
solution of this great problem. 1t goes
further. It outlines the way In which
society may not only care for it's crim>
inals and detectives, but can in the proc,
ess of time divest itself of the fatal faint
which affiicts humanity and which finds
expression in the existence of incorrigi-
bic criminals, the insane, the epileptIc,
the dTunkard and the other Weakiings or
society
All the grandest forces of the age
religion, philanthropy and science-are
at work seeking, not the solution Of this
great acknowledgements solution is not
considered reasonably within the Unite
of attainment-but in minimizing tbs
evils which burden society In the care
and maintenance of these classes. 1t is
after all not too severe to term it a false
humanity which refuses to bring itself
face to face with the terms and con6l-
lions which the existence of these un>
fortunates predicates. Various remedies
have been suggested, but they have been
superficial. Care In the reproduction or
the race by the mating of it's members
on scientific and sensible grounds has
been considered, but that or no other
remedy has reached to the root of the
evil.
Dr. McKim states the only remedy
which in principle at least can rid hui
mainly of the incubus which holds it
from the attainment OF the progress ana
perfection which the discoveries OF
science and the philanthropic spirit or
the age clearly point to the possibility
of. Poverty, disease and crime, the
evils which are Societys heaviest cares
are traceable mainly to one great source.
They are not necessary to the race. They
{ ought not to be incidental to it's exist
ence. 1t is true that within the past
fifty years we have thrown many sare>
guards around the perpetuation of this
4. human stock, but what we have done has
had no appreciate influence on its re-
production. No mere theoriZing on ar.
tificial selection as a means of the main>
tenance of the race in it's purity will
meet the case, and SO the author ap>
proaches the essential point of his doc
trine. He reasons from the manifesto
tons of nature outside of the race and
on the principle of the survival of the
fttest and the rejection of the unfit he
sees his remedy.
1.-The life of each organism waits upon
natures approval if deemed unworthy,
+. the creature is quickly resolved into its
3 constituent atoms, usually before 1t has
: had opportunity to multiply its kind. 1
believe that our true progress as a peo-
pie depends upon our application of this
natural method" AS the author further
points out, there have been well defined
nh in 4hn W
even within our own historic period.
Why rot progressive changes in the
structure of human sanity? The law of
self-preservation is in constant exercise
in all forms of life. Wars and pestilence
and famine have carried on their work
of defamation, and we have sought and
are seeking remedies for them, but in
this the most fatal of all the evils which
aff1ict society we have remained passive.
The hand of horror will be raised at the
remedy proposed for this evil by Dr. Nc
Kim. Divested of ali concealment or dis
guise it means the gentle and painless
removal by death of the organically weak
and the organically vicious who fall into
the hands Of the state for maintenance,
reformation or punishment. THE surest,
the simplest, the kindest and most hui
name means" says DR.. McKim, for
preventing reproduction among those
whom we deem unworthy of this high
privilege is a gentle, painless death;
end this should be administered, not as
q punishment, but as an expression of
enlightened pity for the victims-too de-
fective by nature to find true happiness
in life-and as duty toward the COM
munity and toward our own offspring.
To change for the better human nature
as found in vicious stocks would be, as
we have seen, slow and exceedingly
difficult, if not hopeless, undertaking;
but SO to change it in stocks already good
is but the Fastening of the natural trend
of human evolution.
OF course a measure so radical Will
prove itself Objectionable to the masses,
but it is the remedy which suggests itself
and which man, in his natural state, puts
into operation in a crude and semi-savage
manner. There is no other remedy that
will meet the evil. The british selfish
ness which sends out the nightly ma
rauder to steal, and murder, if need be,
finds its expression in different forms in
the industrialism of today. He who is
able, by perversion of social and indus
trial force; by the prostitution of public
authority; by fraud, force and falsehood,
to rob society of It's possessions for his
ox,,p aprichnent 10 hT1t LITTLE more than a