Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-05-30

mission Of an acquired taste or charac-
teristic has ever been demonstrated
either in the animal or the vegetable
kingdom"
1t Is, Of course, not denied that eX-
cesslye indulgence on the part of par
cnts has a detrimental Influence upon
the offspring, They are liable to have
children weak in mind and feeble In
body. But that Is an entirely different
question
II the conclusion reached is well
founded In fact, It fastens the RESPONSE
blllty for bad habits just whore they
belong-on the individual that has ac-
qulred them. He cannot escape under
the cover Of ancestral sins, Each one
has to be responsible for his own acts.
His free agency is not curtailed 70 the
extent many have believed.
The question Of heredity and respon-
sibilty Is one that occupies the thinkers
OF the age, II has been made to appear
that man is but puppct In the hama
of fate his actions the result OF the
operation OF natural laws, unchange-
able immutable, 1t has been made TO
appear that the drunkard and the THIEF
and the murderer but follow the man
date of the law Of heredty and are no
more responsible than Is the stone for
NN.aHa
falling to the ground, at the bidding
Of the law Of gravitation. The view ~
Incompatible with the prevailing bellef
in free agency, and responsibility 1t
is contradicted by the consciousness OF
guilt by every rational being, when
wrong has been committed, and a sense
OF satisfaction at the performance OF a
duty TO many it is impossible to mar
monte heredity with responsibility
and they seem to have no choice but
to reject the one or the other as IN
consistent with facts,
Today the force OF prenatal intiu-
ences seems to go against evidences OF
the most convincing character the
condition and appetites of the mother
must surely have a powerful effect up
on the offspring. Both oyer-indulgence
and the lack Of qualification appear to
act upon the unborn babe, to be mani
Tested as time brings the growth and
development Of the human being thus
affected,
investigation in this field Is much
needed. Only by thorough research can
the existing difficulties be cleared up.
In all probability it will be found that
the law Of heredty operates more to
the benefit than The detriment of the
human race. 1t was long ago declared
that the sins Of parents are visited
upon children, under certain conditions,
TO the third or fourth generation while
blessings are conferred upon thousands
on account Of righteousness in ances-
tors. If this has any practical bearing
upon the question It places all men
very nearly on an equal footing. For
II children inherit traits at all, they In
herit good traits from many genera
tons back, and evil tendencies only
from a few generations. Each one has
then, enough noble inheritance where
with to combat the opposite. Each one
is in a position to work out his own
salvation and TO bequeath to posterlty
an Inheritance of virtue and righte-
BUSINESS. Man may not be responsible
for any bad tendency he has Inherited
but he Is certainly not without guilt
il he neglects to use the power to DO
good that has been transferred to him
or other means given for his salvation
If he really has the power to do good,
but chooses evil, he is responsible for
that choice, and the consequences there
pf