El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-15


M While the interest in genoa
" logical studies on the part of
the American pubic IS OF comparative
" recent origin, II IS really tnt re-
establishment of principle almost as
old as the world ITSELF Tor Win al
OF the earlier races the respect palu
to ancestry was one OF the strongest
characteristics. The commandment
Honor Thy Father" ia its earliest
INTERPRETATION included all the fore
fathers as well, ana the honor ire
quently amounted to adOrauiOn- AFTER
a certain number OF years an an
cestors became deified and ancestor
worship as a basic part Of religious
faith existed among the earliest Aryan
races and was also practiced by the
'--. Sneestor worship IS practiced in
China TO-DAY after the same methods
which have prevailed Tor centuries N
every house an altar IS ereeIed Sc -
to the memory OF the founders OF the
family, upon which incense IS DuthSo
a. before which prayers are oIIerea
The anniversary Of ne death OF ~
day In some families there are 50
many ancestors Lnat the altar erect
ed to their memory Is kept perpeutal4y
in use. Prayers follow eacn otLSI ~
decOrOus succession. The other affairs
in the house may be neglected Dut
never the one dedicated TO the an
Ancestor worship in China.
Ancestor worship in China IS reco5-
nized BY law and many decisions are
based upon 1t. A tnleI Wno rs ne
son of a thief Is never so heavily pun
ished as the thief who IS the son o.
an honest man. TIE hereditary m
fluences Of a crime have peeh 5eCoS5
niZed in China for centuries ana usSu
as a DalliatfOn for WrOngdOng BY the
man who follows the example SCI
down for him by his toreIatners- Dut
a thief who is the oescenlaeht g, o. !, Al a
honorable ancestry is douDly a Grimm
al His dishonesty IS bad .DuL II patSS
into significance IN comparison VIZ
the crime OF disgracing line OF non
Orable forefatherss so that the Hlsusl
his Dedigree the more severe IS LAe
punishment melted out to MIN
SociOlogists in America are Just Pc
ginning to follow the example OF chi
"a in applying the science OF genoa
lOev 10 criminals. The ancestral in
fluences for evil are as great as tnOse
for good, and must pc taken lnt a..s 80
count in the administration OF peI+sCI
Justice. 1t is claimed that When gellSa-
logical records are complete ana slte
the weaknesses as wei as the FlIttes
Of ancestors, the moral as wei as ne
physical condition OF the nation VIII
be greatly improved Dr. John NC
Donald. whose plans for a human ian
oratOry are now being developed a.
a socialogfcal experiment by the Rus
sian government has recognized lAls
DrfncfDle as one OF the influences 70
Be considered in the building II Ideal
characters.
Japanese Honor Ancestors.
The japanese have methods Of an
cestor worship similar 70 those IN use
In China They visit the graves OF
their ancestors regularly. decorating
them with flowers and making oeNo4t
prayers over them The foreign Ld-t-
road builders in Japan met with Ine4f
] greatest opposition when they tried 70
lay tracks over the graves OF Ions
deceased ancestors While the younger
and more progressive japanese 80 -
the mater philOsophicauy, the lnIlu-
ence OF ancestor worship IS stlil strons
with them and the conservatives no-u
as rigidly to the ancient customs as
before the sOcaled foreign lnNas-
The Hebrews have been accused OF
a certain form OF ancestor worship,
although a denial Of this IN sense
seems we'll established. There is nOth-
ing in the Jewish faith calling Iorll
/ such a sentiment excepting the Deal-
tiful Kadoish prayers which are reaa
regularly in the SynagOgs ana are
admired by every Christian familiar
with them After the last destruction
OF the temple and the final scattering
of the tribes, a prayer was auded IOt
the peace Of the souls of those VINO had
persisted from persecution for their
faith. This was designed more as a
comfort TO the SCfeaVed lnan as
many deVOut Jews today. VINO, on the
anniversary Of the death OF their
fathers, viii 60 70 the temple II pos
sible for the kaddish prayers II &C
cess 10 the temple Is impossible they
will gather together their closest
friends and read this prayer aloud
A Meaner Sort In America.
Modern ancestor worship Of mean
er sort as exhibited by some Anerl-
, can social climbers who desire 70
claim a pedi gree of nobility must dis
] gust every rightminded person those
people who Try 90 disclaim descent
from the honest working people Win
out which the prosperity Of this ma
ton could never have been eslaD-
Hshed, would do well to learn that
even the much Wanted aristocracy were
artisans. Many Of the early settlers
who were registered on the early col
[ Onial records, as WeaverS, black snlInss
tailOrs and similar trades We're IN
reality Of much higher descent thau
some OF those who simply wrote the
word gentleman" after their names.
The old artisans guilds OF Europe
and England were Of anything but
I plobian origin and had the closest re-
| lations with the highest orders OF
A merchant tailors' guild was found
/ ed BY Edward I in England and cnart-
cred by Henry VI under the name OF
The Masters and Wards Of the fIs-
teruity of St. John Of London Henry
I VII was a member OF II and ne
changed its name back to The Mer-
chant Tauor's Guild" and it estao-
hshed a school for boys which was
open only to the sons of nObih ty, A
I number OF the early settlers OF VIZ
ginia who were members of the guuu
after their names, were glad TO send
their sons back to England to be
/ educated at this school There was a
Z blacksmiths or armOrers guild eN-
listing in England at the time Of Al
fred the Great to which many princes
] OF royal blood belonged during the
next few centuries, SO that the term
/ blacksmith In pre-colonial days We
/ assuredly one Of honor. The very
/ fact that a man belonged to any Sind
I OF an artisans guild In the early DAY 5
indicated that his family was one or
| substance able to support him WINE
/ he was taking the training neeQIul 20
make him a master of his trade, ana
none other than a master was permit
/ tod TO write the name Of a trade aIler
I his name
/ The fun number Of ancestors possess
ed bv every individual is far greater
/ imam is generally supposed and ances-
I tor worship that embraced the fuli
! connection would require more time
| than is likely TO be spent by any per
/ son in modern times 1t is usually &C
| ceDfed that person has only two
/ ancestors IN each generation OF past
/ Is hneai unorr the theory