Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-02
BY FRANK f. STONE

whole responsibility on one of the
things made: man, and not the maker:
God. The thought in this chapter
comes almost bodily from Mr. Batch
ford's earlier book GOD and My Neigh
bor," to which the reader is earnestly
recommended.
Chapter II opens with the observa-
ton that common laws and common
usage all the world over hold men
answerable for their acts, and blame
and punish them when those acts
transgress the laws and customs. Says
Mr.. Blatchford: 'Men should not be
classified as good and bad, but as for
tunate and unfortunate, as strong and
weak. And the unfortunate and weak
should not be blamed, but pitied;
should not be punished but helped"
He differentiates between those
whose wrongdoing is the result of ig-
norance, disease, insanity or mental
deformity, and those others who are
base and savage by nature. These
latter" says the author, should be
regarded as we regard base or saw
age animals-as dangerous, but not
deserving blame or hatred. It is the
ancient strain of mans bestial origin
cropping out, through no fault Of their
own"
Man is the product of God, says re-
ligion; science says he is the product
of heredity and environment. The
point is: He did not create himself,
nor did he choose his ancestors
Whatl not blame or punish the ruff
fan, the libertine and the knave for
their vile and cruel actsl is that what
you mean? asks the average man.
And Mr.. Blatchford replies: Yes, that
is what l mean; and 1t is no new
craze, but very ancient wisdom, as
old as the oldest thought Of India and
Greece
xuhat . 49,, 49,, 5a,a,d- ~, ,,,l,o+
man is. And that depends on his
"breed" and his experience. Every
mans character is formed partly by
heredity (breed or descent) and partly
by environment experience or sur
roundings). AT birth his every quality,
good or bad, has been handed down
by his forebears without his own
knowledge or consent. Born as he was
made, he is helpless, dependent upon
nurses and teachers, whom no did not
choose and cannot control; nor is he
able to test the truth of the lessons
they inculcate.
AS he grows his inherited nature is
modified, for better or worse, by the
precept and example of mentors and
companions; thus he becomes the man
his forebears and his fellow creatures
have made him. He Is the product of
his heredity and, environment. How
then can it be just to blame him for
being that which he must be?"
: But" says Mr.. Blatchford, ''it may
be objected "A man has power to
change or conquer his environment, to
train or subdue his original nature
THAT depends upon the strength of
his original nature (Which his ances-
tors handed down to him) and of his
environment largely his fellow-creat-
ures actions). A man has power to
do that which his forbears have made
11i i'm a h1a n do. His inherited
powers may have been either developed
or repressed by his environment. With
those modified powers he may do all
that his nature desires and is able to
do. Up to the limit of his inherited
powers he may do all that his environ
ment CHS experiences) have taught or
melted him to do. Like man swim
ming against stream, IL his strength
(his heredity) and skill (result OF saf-
vironment) are more than equai 10 tne
forcc of the stream he will conquer nus
environment: if the stream is too
strong for him he will be conquered by
his environment. His acts depend en-
tirely upon his nature and his environ
ment: neither of his own choosing.
"As we do not blame man for being
born with red or black hair, why blame
him for being born with strong pass
sions or base desires? If it Is foolish
to blame a child for being born with a
deformed or weak spine, how can II De
reasonable to blame him for being born
with a deformed or weak brain? A
man becomes what he Is by the action
of forces outside himself.
"The argument so far brings us 10
this: That since man did not create
his own nature man is not responsible
for his own acts. Therefore all laws.
human or divine which punish man
for his acts are unjust laws"
"Now," says Mr.. Blatchford, let us
not fall into the bad habit of thinking
of heredity and environment apart
from each other, for 1t is both, not
either one, that make mans character
IF is not heredity or environment that
accounts for a mans conduct; IT is
incredibly AND environment together
which account for every quality In the
human makeup.
IA pianist. an artist or marksman
is made as we'll as born A good
marksrnan Mr. Blatchford accounts Tor
as follows: "a He was born with good
sight. steady nerves and sound sense
ali Of which he owes to his ancestors;
12N he has been well taught or mas
nracticed well, and this practice, this
endeayor to succeed. he owes to his fn-
herlted ambition and to the precept ana
example of other men,"