The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-09

human race To-Day! Is IL enc or many +.
Is it made up of distinctive, separate
strains and "stocks," destined to re-
main permanently segregated into
castles and factions, which must for
ever be at war with the other. Or is
our common human nature wherever
found on the earth essentially unit
out of which may be made to emerge
a beautiful social democracy? This is
the most momentouS question of the
ageS-a very pressing problem alike
for all who are either directly or indi-
rectly interested in the life of man or
the earth I contend with all my
might for the latter position. The
| historian, the pa1eOntologlst, the biolo-
gist, the natural scientist and the
psychologist are all contributing a
mass of evidence to support the theory
that there is only one human kind the
world over; that the various Socalled
races of man have had common
origin. and are inherently shaped for a
common destiny; that the great age
long instructive qualities upon which
our best civilization is built are found
alike and in abundance in every tribe
and nation under the sun; that the
great central stream of humanity
everywhere found is prepotent at
birth in all the qualities necessary for
development, under favorable condi-
tions, into sound and substantial man
hood and wOmanhOod: that human
kind everywhere is apparently on the
way to a common higher physical and
mental being likewise the interest of
ALL
The greatest menace to the estab-
liShment of a mighty spiritual democ-
racy among the men of all nations is
the professional militarism that has
slowly grown into a monster of inn
pending power and destructivenesS
Thrones and palaces of the older sort
are tottering, monarchies are crumb-
ling before the onward march of the
enlightened masses, but much of the
same old selfishness and lust for power
is now lurking behind the frowning
breastworkS of an aristocratic militar-
ism and that under the pretense of
patriotism.
So the student of eugenics is halted
here at the outposts of the great arm
les and navies of the world. The war
problem must be settled before we will
be able to make any very substantial
Q advance. If the militarist be right,
then human life is a cheap and bloody
piece of anima1ism at best, and the
nations must keep on cutting one an
other to pieces for the sake of mere
brute supremacy. If the military aris-
tocracy be right, then man must ever
continue in chains of bondage to his
fellow man and the task of the eugenisa
is merely that of determining how tG
breed better fighting qualities in men.
Mark you do not stop with the
most damaging charge that the enor-
nous expense of militarisn is sapping
the life blood out of the nations of the
earth, although this fact is already
clear to all thinking minds 1 add ,ne
most serious charge that militarism as
at present is a hard and
british aristocracy-that it is built on
the principle that man is predominant
ly fierce and selfish; that the goods OF
the world are material goods; that
only a few, the greatest in war, can
expect to obtain possession or these
goods: that the great mass of men are
unfit for direction and must act
1nIv in mute submissiveness to the
stern and supercilious command of
superior; that mans social sympathy |
and his spiritual nature are mere play |
things to be made use of only in times
Of peace. |
Great brotherhood Is Seen.
But there are those among US who |
see a divine spark of life in all races |
and individuals among men. We see
a great cosmic brotherhood slowly |
emerging. We behold great throng of |
the common people arising to assume |
the reinS of their own governmental
There is no wealth but spiritual life.
There is no power save divine power,
and common man is it's chief 1nstru-
mentality! Let those who would go |
about seeking the breaks and bruises
0n the outer margins of our human ma
ture turn their lamp of inquiry into
the great heart of our common human
tv and find there all the substantial |
for embodiment into splendid and beau
-iful character. Let them seek to pro-
vide for our great common childhood
al the physical nurture, all the play
and social intercourse, all the work and
all the religious experience,
LII the vocational and economic. discf-
1line-for which human instinct the
world over so loudly calls. Let them
provide that practically every young
person shall find a place to live and
work wherein his best latent powers
will be called into service and where |
he light of hope and faith may shine
N undimmed unto the end of life.
Finally education as an ally of eu-
;enics must enter aggressively a COM
,aratively untried field. That is, it
must try out more definite plan for
making the mind of man supreme over
lis physical nature-so train the young
Ill along the way that he shall be-
ONE master over all hurtful physical
.ppetities, and that his physical well
'eing shall have the advantage of the
powerful healing agency of a mind
timulated by joy and social sympathy
nd hope of the future. 1 must be I'M
erstood in this matter If nowhere else:
mean that when we learn how to
ring out by a well rounded course of