The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-13
NEW BOOKS

CONTROL OF HERED1TY. Study of the Gen.
esis OF Evolution and Degeneracy. By CASPER
LaVater Redfeld. Philadelphia: Monarch
Book company. Illustrated.
The author Of this book endeavors to
demonstrate that we would have in the
world a very much greater number of men
OF great intellect like Darwin, Pitt, Napier.
Milton, Goethe, Shakspere, Aristotle, Gu
v1er, Herschel, If the antecedent conditions
Tor the evolution of such men were known,
With such knowledge, he thinks every
man capable of fulfilling his share of those
conditions cooperating, the intellectual
powers OF future generations could be
strengthened very far above the present
conditions. It would appear from his ar
gument that every man controls the mea-
sure OF the intellectual power OF his own
OFFSPRING. He makes the point that the
pest children are produced comparatively
late In life, and so very early maria ees
should be discouraged and the average age
OF reproduction should be Increased. The
child should be encouraged in mental and
physical activity and the mental develop
ment should not be pushed at the expense
Of the physical. If the later births cause
the production Of greater brains, and the
consequent advance Of civilization. the
parties to marriages comparatively late in
life, to produce high types of intellect and
character. would have to conform to the
recognized natural laws governing sound
mental and bodily conditions. The author
exploits the doctrine Of heredity at length.
IN the chapters on reproduction, puberty
and longevity and on the effects of sexual
reproduction, he shows that a child having
oad inheritance may be placed in such en-
V1ronage as to neutra1ize the evil inherited
and be strengthened in what is good. A
SLOW process of growth Of body and mind
tends to the production of healthy children
late In life. Among the causes of the de-
drnp ~ IL
are inferior mothers, lapse Of physical and
mental vitality, thru overdrafts by the
Individual. The author thinks that. as the
higher civilization and changed habits tend
to decrease the birth rate, each father of
FAMILY struggling with poverty should
nave an extra vote for each minor child
under his charge. This is a rather ex
traord1nary proposition, enbodying more
or less peril to the pater and the state. too.
Inc portion of the book showing antece-
dents OF distinguished statesmen, diytnes
and professional and other persons and
the lnnuence OF heredtty, Is extremely in
terest1ng. 1t Is shown how the sex Of
children is Influenced by the surroundings
or the mother, as a woman who kept a.
boarding house patronized exclusively, by
men is known to have male children. and
where woman is living with women
chiefly about her and sees few men except
her husband, she generally has girl babies
~SAHSAe~AAS oPCohA1AG, Lie WOULD seem
to be correct in his theory that where
there are no restraints on sexual propen-
stiles, reproduction taking place at the
earliest possible age, the. lowest grade Of
Intelligence obtains, as in the case of the
Bushmen. Fuegians, Digger Indians and
other tribes.
A woMAN's VOICE. By Isabella Carlisle
Plank. Minneapolis: Ruby Plank Publishing
company. For sale by N. Mccarthy, Nicollet
avenue. -
The author of this volume Of verse in
cludes full page portrait Of herself,
looking very tragedy queen or a. Sappho
singing lyrics to the tumultuary sea
waves the hymns Of India Of the sunlit
skies. Her songs within this book are
changeful from joy and hope to doubt
and fear. They reflect her moods, as In
the poem beginning:
A bunch Of yiolets, just for you.
Drink from the purple blossoms
Fresh with tears Of dew.
Their perfume is their music
Yielding, when loves touch is kind,
A message straight from my heart.
Tho the eyes are blind.
Or this:
There is no soul 30 great and strong
Love rests, like sweet flower, against your
cheek, 800
Let no one tell you that to love is weak.
: The lady writes in clouds and darkness
in ITO MY Arch Enemy ''The Misun-
derstood, Unknown .The Valley of
Regret" and others.