Evening journal., 1912-01-06
ENVIRONMENT
By John $. Hamilton.

Man is the creature Of his envir-
onment is a statement that is fire.
quently heard aud it usually goes
without challenge. If man is the
creature of his environment il is a
very vital matter indeed and there
should be more attention paid to il.
But is a man creature of his eh-
yiroument in the sense that his sur
roundings and his cncOmpassment
made him their victim FOR that is gen
orally the sense in which it is used ?
It must be remembered that man
ever since VIC knew anything of him
has been given as we'll as he could 20
shifting the responsibility for his
shortcomings from his own shoulders.
THE woman tempted me, and I did
cat" was said as long ago as we have
either record or tradition and is there
not pretty good ground for believing
that when he says "I am the crea-
ture of my environment and can't
help myself thar he is using another
flimsy a.d unsatisfactory excuse?
It would be idle to attempt TO prove
that man as we sec him and under-
stand him is not TO great degree
the victim of his surroundings and
if there were any ground for heliev-
ing that man himself was not respon-
sible for these surroundings as far
as they Interfere with man doing his
best ihcn it would be proper and rca-
sonable when confronted with his
shortcomings TO blame il on these
/ surroundings The sun shines and the
rain falls on the just and upon the
unjust and as far as can be seen
( all universal laws work ever and
! always for The good Of mankind If
there are abortions and perveris these
are due TO man and not TO the great
force behind the scenes. II there is
Injustice and crime il is not due 70
the Creator hut it is due to the Great
lure ignoring or openly defying the
Creator. There is no unsatisfactory
condition in the comprehension OF
man that cannot be traced 10 mcu and
the race must rise or fall. survive or
perish as a unit This is no super
stition or fala3ical conception, IT. is
known and admitted by all enlight-
cncd men Think about this matter
carefully and you can come TO but
one conclusion which is that with all
] those things i'm the environment IT. is
caused by men and IL is caused by
! mems nagrant and outrageous viola
ton Of known laws that are not only
IL known but admitted TO be just. j
therefore this is frue, it will at least
begin to appear that If there is an
environment that controls the dcsti-
1 nies of man it is a man made en-
vironment aud cannot therefore re-
lieve him of responsibility.
: What could appear more SHY TO
thoughtful mind than a man pleadlni
4 his environment as justification fol
I his weakness while at the same time
y he is making an environment OF th'
y same kind for his offspring.
g Take everything you ican know
I therefore into consideration and yol
y can come to but one reasonable con
b clusion. and that is that the enVir
n onment that is usually spoken OF an'
/. frequently used as an excuse OF q
u least a justification for human delln
T ouencies is "A man under instrumeu
5, and i'm the last analysis instead OF ma
being the creature of his environment
this very environment they speak
about is the creature of men.
OF course some one may say tha
> the victims Of some terrible condl
tions had nothing TO do with tn