The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-01
FILLING THE EARTH TOO FAST.


4 In The Atlsntic Montbl, for Dcecm.
bcr there IL an earnest study into tho
economies Of population by Mr.. vii
. liam 5. RoSsitcr. under tho title. The
. Pressure Of Populatiou.' From this ar
ticlc Que may easily Judge thar Mr.,
Rosstcr js convert 20 cugcnics, auJ
I that be is hopeful or seeing cugenic
+ principles applied at no long time IN
the future. governing not only the in.
crease Of population. but tending to
ward the bettcrmcnt Of tho human
race. lie points out the former rough
methods whereby population was
checked. aul whereby large numbers Of
the less NJ were cNtcrmiuated, leaving
70 propagate the r..oc those who were
the 6ttcst in ENERGY and power, both
of mind and OF boly.
But now the crowdiug population OF
tho world Is attracting the best thought
of biologists and students in economics.
China i taken n an example Of an
ovcrcrowdiug which rcudcrs the race
absolutely helpless in the face OF in
population in our days as compared
with former times. the writer suggests
that "pcrhaps the human race, 10 its
magnificent cpdcayor in this age, has
i'm reality oNcr-rcachcl itself and sown
the seeds OF decay His meaning is
that the earth may not be able 10 give
the proper sustenancc and opportunity
Tor mankind in IT'S tremendously iu-
creasing numbers 10 develop the indi-
viduality. the power, and the progres-
siyc forces that are essential 20 tho
preservation OF tho race. And nc pro.
cccds to suggest possibilities of remedy
IN the following paragraph:
Science and civilization wsged sue
ocSs'ul war upon the pOpulacio para
sites ot the past by removing them. II
Is unlikely that in The future the new
disposed Of But IL is reasonable 20 cX-
pect that the nations. percclvlnE that
tho limitation of progeny--with It's at
tyudant drawba Cks-has become def
the supremciy difficult task OF securing
\ higher average OF men and women by
preventing reproduction by criminals
and incompetcnts. and by increasingly
scientific breeding. II the state r. con-
frUutcJ by limited reproductions IL can
not afford 10 allow the weak. iucompc
tent. insane and feeble minded 10 thrust
their tainted progeny upon the COM
munity as now occurs TO serious do
gree. The race must be perpetuated hy
those most competent 10 produce the
best men and women.
Developing the theme further, Mr.,
Rossiter sets forth undesirable condi.
tons as every one knows them 20 exist
in the following words;
There will be also another Sause Tor
future concern. In the past. by rather
cruel process. breeding Mas generally
hy tho physically fi,test.
since those who were not NJ died OF
disease or were killed or. \ marked
change. however. mas nov occurred. All
the discoveries aud resources of modern
medicine, surgery. and sanitation are
c%crtcd, not only 70 prolonS the lives
upon their feet. but also 10 enable them
TO contribute an aDprcCisble proper
tion 30 the next generation. In earlier
periods most OF the graduates OF modern
hospitals would have died off without
leaving issue. DOUBTLESS the race was
much better OF physically.
Summed mp, Tho history OF the world
In all earlier ages Is a record OF the
substitution of n vivle and fertile tribe
for one inferior in these essentials. Here
also the past is likely TO offer no prcce-
dent for the future Modern progress
has rcyolutionized 40 many OF the con-
ditions OF life that migration OF races
and extensive conquest grow lcas and
less possible. The tragic substitution OF
stroug nations Tor weaker ones is likely
10 be superseded by slow inJcrna.
changes affecting many nations.
MI this is necessarily subject for
speculative treatment. aud after a time
tho necessity OF dealing with it in prac-
tical form will become an imperative
necessity We doubt, however, If any
thing practical can be doue about II
until that necessity actually forces IL
self upon the human race, aud then 1t