Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1911-04-06
EUGENICS

Editor Evening lletin:-
Last Sunday took dinner with a fam
lily where there II one daughter about
twcnty-three years old. This daughter
Is college bred. has lived in Europe
nearly two years and seems to be a
superior type Of woman In every way.
During my stay this lady introduced
the subject Of hcredlty In families and
discussed It with perfect freedom.
found she has not merely read maya
zine articles on eugenics, but she has
studied the matter and Is alive to its
Importance
Scarcely n day passes now that do
not get some surprise as to the grow
ing interest In this subject of eugenics.
They are interested I'm its principles
because they realize that the applica =
tion of these principles would offer
surer and swifter relief I'm many of
our social problems than could he OBJ
tained (under our present social con
ditions) If every millionaire should
turn his millions into a charity fund
and spend his energies as freely In
relief work as he now spends his
energies In his business enterprises. In
other words, thinking people are begin
ming to believe that most of the re-
lief work now being done, In hospitals
and reformatorles, Is wasted money and
wasted energies.
know that some of your readers
are reading eugcnics, though I do not
know how many. but do know that
many would read II the material were
placed before them. This fact must be
Of Co., a..
you some of the material | find In the
libraries here.
The New York School OF Philan-
thropy has the most complete library
on social problems that Is to be found
In America. You. can find all the best
books, magazines and essays that have
been published In America, England,
France and Germany.
Yesterday | found there an essay
written by Francis Cation on eugen-
les. The main points are so clearly
presented that I send them to you:
"Eugenics is the science that deals
with all the Influences that tend to
improve the Unborn qualities of the
human race: also, those influences that
tend to develop the child to the ut
most advantage.
The principal qualities the eugenist
would have transmitted by parents are
health, energy, ability, manliness, cour-
| age and courtlincss.
THE aim of eugenics Is to bring ms
many influences as can be reasonably
employed to cause the useful classes
to contribute more than their proper
ton to the next generation.
! ings of Nature by securing that hui
manity shall he represented by the ut
test races. What Nature does bllndly
slowly and ruthlessly, man may dc
providently, quickly and kindly. And
as II lies within mans power to dc
this, so II becomes his duty to work
in that direction, just as It Is his duty
to succor nelghbors who suffer mis-.
| fortune.
| The improvement of the human
race seems to me one of the highest
4 objects that we can reasonably at
| tempt.
ITO bring this about, we must dis,
semlnate a knowledge of the laws Of
heredity, so far as they are surely
| known; and promote their further
| study.
"Eugenics must be made familiar as
an academic question, until its import
ance has been understood and accepted
as fact. Then It must be recognized
az a question whose practical develop
ment deserves serious consideration. Il
must be introduced into the nationa
conscience like II new religion. II has
indeed, strong claims as an orthodo,
religious tenet OF the future. Ther
II win be given practical effect in wayi
that we, as yet, may not wholly fore
see.
we are ignorant of the ultimat,
destiny of humanity, but feel sure 4
Is AZ noble work to raise It's leve
as II would be disgraceful to lower 1t
u. THOMPSON.