The Washington herald., 1921-10-16
Product Of Civilization.

mites, where there is little, and what there
is is fairly we'll distributed there is minor
incentive crime. Where all live the simple life and
each one has near his proportionate share OF
things; where natures riches are held in common
and wants are few, to be honest is the prevailing
rule. There is small temptation to take what one
is at liberty to share. Indeed the lives OF savage
tribes, among themselves seems to show that dis
honesty is achievement of civilization.
AS cities grow, as congestion increases, as
social and economic differences develop. there comes
the evolution OF the criminal tendency. Envy jeal
ousy suspicion, covetousness with their attendant
meanness and sel6shness. appear the products of
material progress which marks and supposedly
"glori6es" civilization. War accentuates these evil
traits as war is legalized murder and theft. 1t is
wars business to kill and to take.
Americas Sherlock Holmes" w. J. Burns,
credits the present crime reflex OF the
war, saying that similar conditions have followed
in all wars. This is but another indictment of war,
another punishment for it the greatest of crimes,
p and a consequence which society must suffer for
wholesale murder and robbery. Those who have
formed armies return to civil life after having had
a period of more than license to commit all the
offenses against which laws are made.
Mr. Burns moralizes if opportunity for success
along honest lines is sufficiently impressed upon the
young in their homes and that if criminality
is to be reduced, at will be necessary for parents
to exercise much more careful supervision OF their
chdren's education along moral lines How is
this to be promoted where most needed, in those
eenters of population where environment induces
the contrary impulses which come from craving
what is denied to many and possessed by few,
craving which has regard for reason and is based
in envy without understanding?
The many of American homes in crowded
70 tenn
but in multitude of cases foster it. The super
vision of their children's education along moral
lines" must come somewhere else. That somewhere
else is in the schools and the schools have given
little or no attention. In fact the greatest weak
ness in the schools rests in this very fact. They
teach everything else save moral fortitude. They
develop mental and physical powers, but not moral
strength.
Tonsils are removed but not evil tendencies.
Bad teeth demand instant attention, but bad think
ing gets none A child may be vaccinated seven
times or more, against smallpox, but not so much
as once against evil tendencies or immoral infec-
ton Eyes are watched that they may clearly read
the text of books but not to distinguish right from
wrong The least indication of physical ailment is
reported but moral aing may go unnoticed. Ply
steal perfection is sought if the final goal, but
right thinking straight thinking which guides and
brings right acting is not required.
1t is nobody's profit and so nobodys business
that children in the schools should grew in will
power in resistance of evil, to know why my two
and somebody else's two do not make fouI and
why happiness and contentment with all that is
worth while in life come from inside and not from
the outside What is evil is not inheritance,
II is not the natural state, it is not factor of in
fancy. 1t comes from the outside. All civiliza-
tons which have fallen have crumbled from the
weight of their own too much