Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-21


tinguished that another child would have
whose father was 40 or under.
Casper L. Redfield, in studying the
breeding of horses, COWS and hens" says
one prominent eugenist, has come to the
conclusion that the race-winning colts are
the progeny of mature horses that have by
long practice attained high speed before the
colts were born. Fischers statistics or
human beings seem to show that, other
things being equal, the children OF older
parents exemplify in striking way the in
heritance of acquired characters. He claims
that the probability of being eminent, when
born from father over SO, is five to ten
times that when born from a father of 40
or less s..
Even the hitherto accepted theory that
acquired characteristics cannot be inherited
is now challenged by several modern b1olo-
gists who quote recent remarkable expert
naents which seem to prove unquestionably
that acquired characteristics can be trans
mitted to offspring.
Wrong View of Eugenics
All agree, however, upon the hopelessness
of attempting to regulate human mating by
legislation, and deplore the popular mlscon-
ception of eugenics which credits that
science with a design to abolish romance
and to introduce cattle-breedfng principles
into the domestic affairs of human families
On the contrary, love marriages are highly
favored by the eugenists Marriages for mon
ey and other advantages they, denounce, as
tending toward the deterioration of the race
but love marriages are arranged by nature,
and nature is a first-rate eugenist herself.
Mature has provided men with some in
born attractions or repulsiOns, sympathles
and antipathies, which operate for the do
logical welfare of the race" explains one
eugenist. cit is we'll known, for instance that
red-headed persons dislike one another and
seldom marry persons of their own complex
ion. 1t is also noticeable that tall men fire.
uuently choose short mates, and stout men
prefer slender ones"
In spite of some disagreement among the
authorities the knowledge of the inheritance
of physical traits is now sutflclent!V precise
according to DR.. Davenport, that it may be
applied practically to cases of doubtful par
entage ALREADY" he says, "the eugenlcs
record office has been asked to answer Ger
tain questions about the inheritance OF tralts
in a case of a claimant who maintained that
he was the son Of wealthy man VINO Qleu
without heirs AS lawyers get more used 10
the idea of utilizing the advances OF knoWl-
edge for evidence, it is probable that eugenl-
cal knowledge will be more and more called
upon.
1.-THE transmission of special Characters
tics which develop into talent and genius
DIR Davenport further explained is now
being studied by 200 field workers connect
ed with the eugenics laboratory at Colo
Spring harbor This laboratory, by the way,
is connected with the Carnegie institution at
Washington. Much interesting light IS belng
shed by this research on the manner IN
which musical, literary or artistic talent is
handed down from generation to genera
ton"
'sYou cannot make any eugenist believe,
of course, that genius or any great man
could spring from poor ancestry-not even
Abraham Lincoln. Recent Investigations OF
his lineage, indeed, they assert TENDS u, 10
show that, in spite of the shiftlessness Of his
own father, he really came of splendid
line