The San Francisco call., 1904-02-12
DESTROYING THE DEFECTIVE.


DRESIDENT ANDREWS of the University of Ne
r. braska is the last college make PROPOSE
tion that attracts attention. because it is novel,
but because he indorses He thinks that society will
be benefited by destroying all weakly and defective chill
dren- The proposition is not is the plan
tried The Sparans exposed all weakly and defective
infants, that they might die and not live to impair the
physical characteristics of the but there in his
tory evidence that the benefit the Spartans phys
caly made good to them the loss morally.
The and nations around them and in their tme
that did not take such physical strength
potent war; and the institutions they founded
and defended long lived. Other contemporary
states left much deeper impression the world and
science, and literature impulse that
yet spent. We do recall single case in which
Sparta this respect initiated by any of the ancient
civilizations; failure which may be taken evidence
that the results OF the Spartan plan did commend it.
But from the standpoint of that people it had some
justification. They had to maintain the independence
OF their commonwealth by the fighting power of their
people. War in that time matter of personal
physical strength. Battles decided by hand o
hand encounters Spears and missiles were effective
only within the range determined by the strength of the
which them. Before blame the Spartans
for the cruel they took preserve their physique
all of these things must be considered When it is pro-
posed to copy them now, must be remembered that
their for such policy longer exists. Strength
of longer in battle Ii is replaced by the
expulsive force of powder The weakest finger pull
trigger that expodes charge capable OF carrying
bullet two miles. War is longer hand to hand bust
ness An army of prize-fghters matching muscle
against powder could be routed by company OF
marksmen armed with the Krag-Jorgensen.
We may then to the moral effect that may be
pected follow adoption of President Andrews pro-
posed revival of sacrifice of the weakly and defective
If he have defective child, is he willing begin? If
not, that is the complete the proposition
Nature has put in the parental heart aiuent foun
tain of love and for defective child For
fort sacrifice is too great, burden Instead
of its poor and weak life being injury society
keeps alive those tender impulses of the heart from
which radiate all the humane element that is in our
laws and habits. Destroy the defective and this
humane impulse gradually dies If so monstrous thing
possible for parents to such thing
the very halo of motherhood would fade away, and the
hard heart of society would work and nsti
tuons and the charm OF mercy and justice that their
panoply would disappear. We would save the expense
of institutions for the mute, blind and insane of the
cidrens hospitals and the homes for crippled and
distorted but would be living intoerable world
Such policy would have strangled Helen Keller in her
infancy
President Andrews may ask: "What economic value
is there in the education of Helen Keller?" AS well ask
what is the economic value of the march of Xenophon
and the 10000 Creeks in the story of the loyalty to
Athens of the Plataeans; in that of Horatus at the
bridge; in the victory of Hermann in the Teutoberger
wad in the suerngs at Valley Forge and the fights
of old Ironsdes! They thrill in that spirit that
makes states and institutions and defends them.
When children read the story of Helen Keller living
in world OF everlasting darkness and grim silence
overcoming the iron jalers of blindness and deafness
and muteness and acquiring education that opens to
her the pleasures of all literature and knowledge of
all life they inspired to the best of all their five
and of all their faculties. OF themselves
the best.
When President Andrews finds cow so lean that she
will not defend her helpless calf against the wolves he
begin his search for human parents that will not
defend their weakly and defective young