Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-10

review Of IL. 90 Is learned that the au-
thor has set forth the results OF a sim
ilar investigation with regard 70 the de-
scendauts Of Jonathan Edwards, the
famous American scholar and theolog-
ian. The inquiry covers no less than
] 400 individuals connected with this
family Among the results obtained
are these. Among the 2S5 college grad
yates Of the Edwards family, there are
thirteen presidents Of colleges and 9TH
or higher institutions Of learning, sixty
Eve professors Of colleges and many
principals OF important academies and
semlnarles. Forty-nve American and
foreign colleges and universities have
this family among the alumni. There
have been sixty physicians all men OF
mark, more than 100 clergymen, mis-.
sionares and teachers Of theology,
eighty-three who have served in public
offices, a large number Of leaders In
Industrial commercial and professional
life In more than thirty States. includ-
ing presidents and superintendent Of
railways, bank and insurance company
directors, miners, merchants and lead
crs In reform
The facts thus given illustrate forci-
bly, the truth Of the saying Of our an
cestors, that "a great inheritance has
he who Is well BORN They also prove
that the old praxIs Of drawing well de-
fined lines between mobility and "the
people had some justification I'm a
theoretically correct principles only, In
the carrying out OF this principle. a
grioyous wrong was sometimes COM
mitted by comforting the title upon
worse than worthless subjects, while
the real nobility Of soul and character
was unrecognized
The facts also show how much hered-
ity and environments have TO
do with the formation Of
character This IS now generally
recognized by soclologlsts. to the ex-
tent that the fact Of how free agency
can be accounted for has become a
problem. But lt should not be lost sight
VI tina, no one has only bad traits as
his inheritance. Everyone has some
good transmitted to him through an
cestors. His heritage is a very COM
pick one. and with proper aid when
character is formed and with proper
exercise Of the will-through the saving
influence Of the Gospe-man and wo-
man can he "regenerated' and put IN
position 10 progress toward eternal ex-
altation Between the promptlngs OF
nature, due TO what he has inherited by
the natural birth, man Is free to choose
the good and reject the evil. Sufficient
light has been given him 70 know both,
to some extent Power to do good is
offered him from divine sources. II
he, Notwithstanding this, selects to fol-
low the desires Of his heart to do evil,
rather than do good ne cannot escape
responsibility The condemnation is
Just.
These are some Of the truths set forth
In the two books mentioned In these
paragraphs They are lessons much
needed in our time, when the questions
relating to the free agency and respon-
llbllity OF man are discussed, and when
society Ia almost at loss what to do
to combat crime and immortality When
the laws Of heredity and the effects OF
environment are fully understood. the
duties OF the reformer should be no
more difficult TO perform, in regard 10
society, than the duties Of the physician
who has thoroughly and correctly dag
nosed the case Of his patient.