The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-07

| best systems of punishment and re-
form found in the world.
Nature has way of eliminating the,
unfit. Plants and animals that are
weak and unable to cope with their
surroundings perish and the strong
survive to perpetuate the species. Man
kind in its early history has exem-
plified this doctrine. The primitive
races were very close to nature and
were subjected to this law. The aged,
the weak, and the Informed were al
lowed to perish, because through
| migrations, wars, and the scanty food
supply they were a burden. Under the
social regime of primitive society this
was blessing to the race. Suisse
quently when nations entered into the
pale of civilization some of them con-
tlMued the practice as means of
eliminating the unfit. The aged were
encouraged to take their own life and
deformed children were exposed to
perish. 1t was a method of rational
choice for the preservation and happi-
ness of the race, but it was the wrong
method. Natures judgment is cor
rect; the unfit must be eliminated. The
lesson that nature has taught us must
never be lost. But nature is nom
ethical or immoral. and in the elimi-
nation of the unfit we must proceed
from ethical motives and observe
ethical practices or we lose one of the
best qualities of normal society.
through the influence of the Christian
church the poor, the sick, and the de-
fective had much care, but it was
matter of relief rather than a matter
of cure. While the ethical sentiment
was developed the number needing
relief continued to increase. Modern
charity does not ignore the principle or
practice of relief but it is trying to
reach scientific basis of prevention.
While it has scarcely entered upon
this stupendous task there are already
signs of progress. The delicacy of the
task and the slowness of society to
realize its own power and duty makes
u
law Of prevention. Among the recent
movements in this direction is the at
tempt to prevent by legislation the
birth of the unfit. Laws in several
enacted TO prevent marriages of the
physically UNIT. Those afflicted with
insanity, epilepsy, idiocy, pulmonary
and certain venereal diseases should
not be allowed to perpetuate their de-
fects. If nature disposes of the unfit
by death society must eliminate them
by preventing their birth.
In Kansas the evils of
bad economic conditions are not SO
evident as in our large cities, but the
same conditions will appear here
eventually. 1t is estimated that in
fairly prosperous years there are no
States in poverty. They are under
fed, underclothed and poorly housed.
OF these 100000 are public paupers.
Those in the lowest stage of poverty
paupers. Over 100000 working men
are unemployed from four to six
months in the year. About 100000
little children are forced to become
find it necessary to work and about
100000 of these are in factories.
am well aware that
system of individualism in economic
life SO long practiced as our own does
not readily yield to legal control. Yet
to a certain extent good laws backed
by public sentiment will do much to
remedy the evils referred to. For
1. All tenements and factories
should be made sanitary and old
shacks which are unfit to shelter hui
man beings should be torn down and
prise or if that fails by public expendi-
ture. IT,
2. The hours of work for women
and children should be regulated.
3. Prevent the labor of children
under IA in factories and mines.
4. Regulate and supervise dangerous
occupations and trades.
5. Make an eight hour law univer-
sal or an eight hour shift for labor in
continuous occupations.
6. Adopt measures for stamping out
disease. especially tuberculosis.
Z. Provide against death and injury
from accident.
s. Provide educational and recreative
institutions.
9. Force industry to pay a sufficient
wage to bear the necessary cost of pro-
ducing and maintaining efficient labor
ers.
TO- Take measures to compensate Ia
Dor for enforced idleness and old age.
IL. Prevent the stimulation of immi-
grafton by employers and steamship
lines.
II. Insist that the beneficiary of la
Dor, be he producer of consumer, be
made to support the laborer with liv-
ing wage even though it takes all the
margin accruing to him and prevents
his getting wealthy.
1t is not assumed that laws of this
nature will change our present econo-
mic system to such an extent that the
results of grinding competition will
cease but they will relieve the pressure
from burdened humanity and thus re-
duce the fierceness of the struggle for
existence among the poor.