Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-22

men occur in age than in anotherl Can their num-
bers be increased by cultivation? Do the well fed
into genuses often than the starved? These
fair questions. Nobody claims they new; for they
have been asked by every generation since Socrates
The answers given based on long study by
the foremost authority sociology in America.
environment, or the material means of subsistence;
60 the social environment, or the social class to
which the possessor of native genius belongs; and
(4) the educational environment, or the kind and
amount of education that the born genius has
received especially in youth. These are the great,
all powerful factors in determining the expression
Of latent genius and unless one more of them are
favorable there is possibility of such expression,
however great that latent genius may be.
Statistical demonstration of this truth has been
supplied for literary genius throughout modern
times especially for France but also less fully for
Italy, Spain, Germany, and England. few of
the general results are striking that they cannot
fail to command attention.
For the local environment, the great factor is
found to be the cities compared with the rural
districts. Thus the number of eminent Frenchmen
of letters born in cities was seventy-seven to the
in the country only six to the hundred thousand.
showing that the literary productivity of cities
nearly thirteen times that of the country. That
of Paris between eight and nine times that of
the whole of France, and more than thirty-fve
times that of the rural districts Lex nrbis lee
orbts The law of the city is the law of the world
that stimulate and bring out the potential genius
of mankind
The influence of the economic environment is
even more powerful 1t has been shown that only
nine per cent. of the eminent literary men of France
were of limited means, while ninety -one per cent.
were rich or well to do. But as the poor formed
ninety seven per cent. of the population, it follows
that three per cent of the population furnished
ninety -one per cent of the talent. This that
the chances of success of rich person than
three hundred times great those of poor
person endowed with the same measure OF native
genius.
The social environment is closely connected with
the economic. and the results are practically the
same. In France during the modern period the
upper classes nobility Government officials, lib
eral professions bourgeoisie- furnished ninety and
two-tenths per cent of the eminent of letters,
while only nine and eight -tenths per cent were low
born. But these latter constituted at least eighty
per cent. of the population. 1t follows that the
chances of success of person belonging to the upper
classes nearly thirty-seven times as great as
those of one of the same native ability belonging
to the lower But the nobility alone who constituted
only about one per cent of the population furnished
Frenchmen of letters. The chances therefore are
nearly two hundred times great for person
belonging to the nobility for belonging to
the working class, all other things being equal.
Value of Education
FINALLY as regards the educational environment,
notwithstanding the claim openly made that for
men of genius education is negligible factor. it
was found that out of eight hundred and twenty
seven Frenchmen of letters, the only ones whose
early history in this respect could be ascertaned,
eight hundred and eleven received thorough edu-
cation in their YOUTH while only sixteen were self
educated 1t follows that for educated man,
other things equal the chances of nearly
ffty-two to one for man who is compelled to
educate himself.
Similar statistical tests have been made for the
four other great literary countries of Europe and
the results do not vary essentially from those at
tanned for France The influence of great cities, of
ample means, of high social position, and of early
education is the everywhere. But it can be
readily that all these environments educa-
tional They are the means to education. 1t was
found that the of cities had less influence than