The Washington herald., 1915-10-25
Another Wild Theory.

The timehness of Judge Gary's warning against
dangerous isms was illustrated the day II was ut
tered. by Prof Johnson, of New York University,
in his appearance before the legislative committee
now sitting in New York City TO consider ways
and means to secure more revenues. Prof. john
son resurrected old ism called the Malthu-
sian theory. and dressed it up in modem college
clothes so that il has attracted wide attention
Prof. Johnson advised reversal Of the principle
now applied to income taxes. to exempt
bachelors from the tax while placing the heaviest
burden Of taxation on married men for the purpose
Of diseouraging matrmony and ehild-bearing.
These remarks of Prof. Johnson have stirred up a
new agitation in New York quite interesting
and suggestive that regarding the tango few
months ago, and the suffragsts in their big parade
had section made up OF baby carriages filled
with babies, just to show that they have no SYM
pathy with the views of this latest apostle OF race
suicide.
But Prof. Johnson is not quite so bad as he
paints himself He is married and has three chill
d1en one more than tho average in intellectual
families He was simply exercising the college
professors privilege OF applying theory to the
rest of humanity which he would not apply to
himself and making sensational statements to at
tract attention and his name in the headlines.
The late Tom L. Johnson, while eloquently
advocating free trade in Congress- was interrupt
ed with inquiry if he was not as manu-
facturcr of steel rails, beneficiary of the tariff
He admitted that he and was making money
which he desired and which would be impossible
under his theory, but that should not interfere
with a in exploiting a theory which he
knew would never be adopted Prof. Johnson
offer the same excuse He is married, has
children and under the exemptions of the income
tax pays nothing toward the support of the %
eminent. He knows and admits that the Ameri-
can public will never accept his theory adopt
his advice. He is therefore safe in adopting the
means that will give him notoriety and perhaps
make him as much talked about Mr.. Nearing,
lately dismissed as instructor at the University Of
Pennsylvania
The old Malthusan theory, that marriage and
child bearing must be discouraged to prevent the
overpopulation OF the world, is perhaps as in
nocent an ism as could be trotted out to interest
and amuse the people, because it will never be
accepted anywhere, not in Europe where
Prof. Johnson believes overpopulation is re-
sponsible for the war; but the resurrection OF
that old theory by professor Of. economy ina
great university supported by the State and paid
for by public taxation, indicates the public indif-
ference as to what is taught in our colleges and
schools A private college, controlled by a board
of trustees representing the endowment, can exer-
else some control over the teaching there. but
the university or college supported by the State
is supposed to be controlled by the public, and
what is the public business is nobody's business.
The college professor in such institutions is either
his own master or becomes public martyr when
interfered with. Prof. Johnson, like instructor
Nearing, illustrates the danger Of allowing pro-
motors OF sms TO get on the government payroll.