El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-28
PARABLE Of THE UNW|SE FARMER
His Dropped
Mud-Shal He Plug Up the Holes?
By F. Park Lewis, " D., Buffalo,

Behold a certain farmer was driving
along a highway. and as he journeyed
he found that he was losing a large
part of the choice fruit with which his
wagon was loaded. As he saw the
product of his labor dropping into the
mud OF the highway, he called upon his
neighbors and friends to help him re-
cover It. Many Of the kindly disposed
people, leaving their work, came to his
assistance, and followed the wagon and
picked UP the fruit and put it into the
wagon again. But most Of It was bruised
and some Of it had been crushed under
the feet of the passers5y.
And as the farmer continued on his
journey, other we'll meaning people
joined in the train, and in the course Of
time almost the entire load was made up
Of unclean and bruised fruit. Many
weary miles had been travelled after
this fashion when an idle fellow stand
ing by the wayside, seeing the wasteful
destruction Of fruit and the wearisome
and vain toll of the well-intentioned
neighbors, called out in derision: 'Sir,
why dost thou not stop the holes in
thy wagon?"
And some of the friends Of the farmer
answered and said, Hast thou not
beard that It is not pleasant to talk
farmer said unto the questioned, "'Dost
thou not know that il is not my duty
10 mend the wagon, seeing it doth not
belong to me?"
The Moral Derelfct.
In 1908 the state OF New York pro-
vided for nearly $4,000 physical and
moral derelicts. almost two-thirds as
many constitute the standing army
of the United States. They were found
On prisons, in reformatories. in hospitals
for the insane, in aSylums for defect
ives, and in institutions for unfortun-
ates- For their maintenance in that one
year, the state appropriated nearly $1O,-
100000. At least half Of those human
wrecks were the direct result Of vicious
conditions which the state could and
should control, but in the absence of
organized preventive measures dealing
with causes. the state not only fails to
control, but is controlled 20 the extent
Of paying millions Of dollars providing
for results This is neither sound sense.
prudent economics, nor wise statesman
ship Furthermore, the increase in de-
generacy in all of its forms is appaIl-
ing. 1t is taking millions out of the
ranks of the producers and putting
them into the ranks Of the consumers. |
SapPing Out Life.
The two pOisOns which are sapping /
the foundations of our national life are |
alcohol and venereaI diseases. They fill !
our hospitals for the insane, our colonies |
for epiieptics. our institutions for the !
feeble minded, our schools for the blind /
and deaf, and directly or indirectly con- |
tribute largely TO the population of our !
prisons and refOrmatorieS- So rapid has |
been the growth in numbers and cost Of /
maintenance of these deTelicts that /
should the present ratio of increase con- |
tinue unchecked for two generations, |
the exchequer Of the state VIII be bank
rupt, while a large proportion Of those
who should be taxpayers will have be-
come taXeaters.
In recommending technical lines of
study, a well known medical superin-
tendent says that in his judgment, the
first and most important is prevention
Of insanity. ddiocy, epilepsy, imbecility.
-mindedness, tuberculosis and
crime The prevention of tuberculosis, |
which we know now largely how TO fore
stall, and the causes underlying it are
being so widely studied that it need not
be emphasized; but the attention of the |
public has not been called so promi-