The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-01
Mr.. Cnrnrwir,s sneech.

Mr.. Carnegie's speech.
Somehow or other there seems to be a
tendency among prominent men just at
present to explain themselves. They make
a speech. OF write book OF a poem, ard
after a short interval make frantic at
tempts to explain TO the public what they
meant by that speech. or poem, OF book.
Some newspapers make a practice OF ask
ing authors TO give their reasons for writ
ing their latest novel. II begins 10 look
as If no one could make a plain statement
without having to follow il with a detailed
! account OF his reasons for making &C. the
/ circumstances under which It wss given
/ forth, and husliy. his sincerity or insin-
/ cerity in saying such thing at all.
/ Here is Edwin Markham, for example,
wandering about the country telling
4 Markham Clubs" what he intended TO say
/ when he wrote The Man with the Hoe"
/ Here is President Hadley driven to explain
/ that he really did not suggest that college
professors with salaries of s. 600 a year
I should ostracise trust magnates who own
J automobiles and steam yachts. Some en-
! terprising newspaper may send reporter
( to Frankfort TO md out whether the man
! who shot Goebel really meant TO do il. And
l if Edward Moves Westcott were not dead
{ be would surely be interviewed about his
motives for writing David Harum" and
/ the lesson which e. was intended 20 teach
Finally. MIR Andrew Carnegie has been
reduced TO making explanations OF his re-
cent statement that 81 was bad policy 10
TO help the man who was lighting with mis-
head above water He really said that il
he could have his way. the submerged
persons would be- FED sheltered. and sup
ported but not allowed TO marry. This
has caused a small commoJion among phi
lanJhrouists. and also among persons fond
of discussion on slight ground.
From the ordinary readers point Of view
there does not seem TO be much mystery
about Mr.. Carnegie's statement It is not
romantic. but there is considerable hard
Scotch sense in e., all the same. OF course,
ii all depends on what he means BY the
submerged tenth. and perhaps one-tenth is
rather too large q proportion to set apart
. in this way But there is no doubt in the
world that a great deal OF the money spent
on the very lowest grade Of humanity is
[ practically wasted. because senUmentality
and not common sense dictates its use.
In the end. common sense is really mer-
ciful, and much of the apparent cruelty OF
Nature is simply what We call horse
sense" carried out TO its logical couclu-
sion. The law OF the survival Of the 1T
test is an instance Of this. Does anyone
believe that any good end would be served
by the persistent survival Of the physically
and morally unfit? Is not the whole pur-
pose of civilization to perpetuate the high
er qualities Of humanity and exterminate
the lower Can anyone read a truthful
account Of the world as il was four hun
dred years ago and doubt that this. gener-
ally speaking. has been the tendency of
human development?
There ought 10 be no question. in the
mind Of any sensible person, that persons
physically and morally degenerate ought
to be prevented. if possible. from perpet-
uatigg their kind. Such measures as
might be taken to effect this end would
be simply merciful TO the human race in
general. We all know that there are crea-
lures so debased. so sodden in vice. that
their children are almost certainly DOOM
ed to become criminals. mauiacs or imbe-
Giles. 1t may not he their fault that they
are thus debased; this is not a question
Of punishment. They should be taken care
Of, fed. clothed, given work. and all the
instruction Of which they are in need. But
congenital criminals should not be allow
Cd to remain at large and prey on society
A little strict supervision in one genera
ton might so reduce the number OF degen-
crates in the next that some of the poor
and deserving people would have a chance
to be helped There is no economy in al
lowing the children of honest. hard-work-
; ing parents TO become diseased and vicious
for want Of little care. while money is
p being spent TO provide homes for physical
+ and moral incurables. That sort of thing
. is what our grandfathers used to call saw
ing at the spigot and waste at the bung
They also had a shrewd proverb to the
effect that an ounce Of prevention is worth
a pound OF cure. Some modern philan-
rhropists. consumed with zeal for res
cuing" the toughest subjects would do
well TO remember that saying.