The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-12
SOCIAL EVOLUTION TALK
PROF. IRA w. HOWERTH LECTURES
AT THE PROPYLAEUM.
An Interesting Discourse on the Gen
eraI Subject OF ''Modern So
cial PrObiems."

Last night at the Propylaeum Prof. Ira
w. Howerth delivered the eleventh lecture
of the series on Modern Social Problems"
His specific subject was Social Evolution"
He said:
There are two schools OF social philos-
ophy, one holding that all of our social
difficulties will be remeded by the grad
ual and inevitable advancement OF society
due to evolution; the other, urging the ne
cessity of Fastening the solution of our
social problems by intelligent concerted ac-
ton. The one talks much of destiny, and
advocates a let-alone policy in social mat
ters; the other talks more of duty, and
believes with the late Professor Huxley
that the organization of society on pure
ly scientific basis is not only possible but
is the only political object much worth
fighting for These two schools have their
philosophical representatives in Herbert
Spencer and his followers on ,the one side,
and the many opponents of the Spencerian
philosophy on the other. Their respective
political adherents may be found in each
of our political parties
1.-THE idea that nature alone will take
care of all social difficulties that beset man.
kind, and that any attempt to order So
cial life in accordance with a precOnceived
plan can only result in making matters
worse, is due TO the recognized fact of
unconscious evolution in the past Darwin
showed that the production OF higher ami
NAL forms has resulted from the of
nature. famine and death. To the student
OF history II Is OBVIOUS InaL we owe the
existence of the higher nations to similar
causes. 1t is not strange, then, that many
social thinkers, seeing what has come about
through the operation of natural law
should advocate the policy of letting nature
take her course.
NATURAL SELECTION.
1.-THE theory Of natural selection, so val
liable in biology, applies as well to the de-
velopment of societies as TO the produc-
ton of animal forms. The principles under
lying social evolution are the same
those upon which the theory of natural Sc
lection is based; namely, variation. hered-
ity and tho struggle for existence. Tribes
and nations differ from each other in Gus
tom, language, institutions and laws. Some
of these variations like those of biological
organism, prove TO be an advantage in the
struggle for existence and are handed down
by custom and tradition, which constitute
effective social heredity. The struggle for
existence is illustrated most clearly by war.
| War however is not the only factor in
the elimination of inferior races Disease,
vice and depressing effects of strange man
perS and customs are equally if not more
effective. Perhaps half of the Indians of
North America were destroyed by small
pox. Half of the population of the Fiji
islands was carried away by the measles.
! These diseases were brought about by the
conquering race Wherever the Anglo
Saxons have come in contact with the
called inferior races, the numbers of the
akas of the Sandwich islands have dimin-
| ished from 100000 to about 10000; the New
| Zealanders from $4,000 to about $1,000; the
Tasmanans have entirely disappeared.
| What is true of our race is true also of
| the other higher races. The uncivilized
disappear before them almost like mist be-
| fore the sun. Thus we have what many
are disposed to look upon as an unchange-
able law, that whenever one race comes
| in contact with another the tendency is
| towards the suppression or the elimination
Of 4 he olroV nar ~,
! ed out that one race of human beings acts
! upon another in about the same way that
one species of animals or plants acts upon
! another species. 1t is the old law of the
! survival of the fittest.
This law however. it should be observed.
! is a law of nature and not a law of mind.
| In the artificial selection practiced in de-
/ veloping domestic animals the natural law
/ is counteracted. 1t is equally possible to
| counterfeit that law so far as il applies TO
| the development of nations. So long as
| social evolution is merely a natural process
/ it must present the same saddening spec
| tacle of cruelty, wickedness and bOodshed
| the same destruction and waste that is
manifested through all history. Nature is
| prodigal of tribes, nations and races a.
! she is of the germs of biological life. She
produces a million ova in order to bring
/ two Goldfish to maturity. Two hundred mill
| lion eggs are spawned by the oyster Some
| of the lower animal forms lay literally a
! billion eggs. of fifty seeds she often
! speaking of nature. He might have said
| 10000, GOO In social evolution there is the
same waste. How many tribes and ma
| tons have been destroyed TO produce
modern civilization?
PREVENTION OF LOSS.
Society to-day. then, has opportunity, by
! taking it's evolution into it's own hands
and making it conscious, to eliminate the
inordinate waste and destruction, to pre-
vent the loss which is likely to take place
| ofx oIr DIV
history and to determine social destiny.
1.-The idea that the destiny of a nation
is Independent of the conduct of its peo-
| pie is not worth a moments consideration
! Society should order its own development
! just as the intelligent individual directs his
! education Legislation should be recognized
| and practiced the art of social control
| sibilities of regulation as natural forces
| Every legislator should. therefore be
| skilled in the social sciences. Cur educa-
! tional system should be consciously directed
! toward the realization of a social as well
| as an individual end. II is true that the
| idea that the government ought 10 do
| something and governmental Interference
| in matters industrial, religious and social
! have produced generally more harm than
good. But this need not necessarily be
! the case. Government must become thor
! oughly representative Of the peoples in
/ terests. and the ideal OF governmental &C
| ton is scientific action directed towards the
| solution of all questions regarding social
| welfare.
The great social question. then. really
is. whether society is TO be left to drift
| Istlessly along, advancing here retro
crossing there or where the people. thor
| oughly enlightened with regard to their
own interests. are to regard society as the
| legitimate object Of art and make il as
| superior TO what IL is as the artificial
| products of the field and garden are TO
those which nature alone produces"
Charged with killing His Wife.
| FINDLAY. o., April n.-John Boyles shot
| and killed his wife this morning i'm a teal
! Gus quarrel at McComb. The woman was
| shot through the right temple with a IS
/ caIfhre revolver, with powder marks show