The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-22

Editor Tribune:-In the year 179S
Thomas Robert Nautilus, an eminent
English economist. published an essay
on population This essay, born Of
close study and investigation, demon
strates many hard and unpleasant facts
that humanity must consider. The Nal.
thusian theory. or Malthusian doc
trine, as II is generally called. is that
population, il otherwise unchecked, will
increase 10 the limits OF It's means Of
substance, and then will be checked by
starvation; that, according 10 his Statis-
ties, the population of the world, If
unchecked. would double each twenty.
five years; that the supply of susteu-
ance cannot keep pace in increase
with population, because population in
creases in geometrical ratio, while, un-
der most favorable conditions, the
supply of sustenance can be increased
only in arithmeticai ratio, and that, un-
less some artificial check intervenes. the
day IS certain when further increase in
population will be impossible because
OF lack of food. II is aside from the
point 10 speak of the volumes of abuse
that superficial optimists and shallow
Drained bigots have poured upon the
head of this great analyst. However,
all the great thinkers, economists and
sociologists of the world. including
Spencer and Darwin, accept and in
doTse the Malthusiau theory.
Of all eXponents of the theories Of
population. Herbert Spencer seems to
be the most scientific. the most logical,
and the most unsentimental, His argu
ments and demonstrations are so wide
ly scattered throughout his writings
that 1t is difficult TO cite them, but in
the final chapter of his work on biology
is an admirable discourse on the destiny
of humanity. in which his conclusions
are set forth. The Spencerian argument
is that population. as it presses upon the
limits of subsistence, will tend TO check
its own growth by the elimination of
the weak and unfit; that this process
is automatic; it is but another mani
festation of the natural law of the
survival Of the fttest; that the harder
population presses upon its means of
subsistence, the harder becomes the
strife for existence and the more rapid
" proceeds the elimination of the weak
and unfit. Likewise, as strife for liveli-
hood becomes harder and more uncer-
tain. the birth rate will be reduced un-
I'll birth rate equals death rate. In
short, the Spencerian idea is that hu-
manity is multiplying TO the point
where the poor, helpless and weak of
every generation must prematurely die
In order that the strong may live TO
perpsetuate their kind. In this manner
mankind will improve In intellectual
strength, for intelligence will, for the
most part, be the quality by which the
fitness of the survivors will be de-
termined. The Spencerian theory leaves
little room for charity and sentimen.
tally. According to his views public
support of the poor and disabled is
artificial and contrary to the uni.
versal laws of evolution, because il
burdens the strong with the support OF
the weak, and thus brings about sur
vIval of the unfttest, rather than of the
fttest. What will be the attitude of
mankind toward the poor and helpless
when the day Of general scarcity of
food arrives, Spencer docs not specify
essential to his theory. Suffice it to
say, the poor must fare worse than
those who support them.
The Malthusian theory is not a pleas
ant subject for discussion. Until re
Gently it has received but little public
attention. Our statesmen, politician:
and demagogues, being engaged IL
panderng for public favor, prefer tc
speak of more agreeable things. The
conclusions and corollaries of the
Malthusian theory are far from opt
mistic, yet they are the results oil
mathematical demonstration, and must
be accepted as truth. Unless mankind
means of refertillzing soil or OF manu-
ments Of nature, the 1'Doom of Nal
thus is not far distant Science ha:
already done much toward discovering
means of refertlizing soil; that is, to
ward manufacturing fixed nitrogen
Factories which manufacture nitrates
securing nitrogen directly from the at
mosphere, are now running, both il
Europe and in America. But even ar
abundance of fertilizer merely post
pones the awful day. 1t cannot be in
definitely postponed unless science dis
covers a process Of manufacturing fooC
material directly from the rocks of Tho
hills
Increase Not Checked.
OF late years there have been few de
vastating wars. The ravages Of plague
famine and disease have been staveC
hx ecinnca The Inafh tall &c f.,ui -