Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-17
UNWISE

Grand Forks. last week, DR.. M. A. Brennan, form
erly of the University of North Dakota, and now
president of Beloit College, Wisconsin, enumerated
four things which operate against the maintenance
of the integrity of the human race and which impede
its progress toward higher levels. These four
elements, given in the order of what he believed to
|be their importance, are unwise, philanthropy, war,
ind~iscrininate immigration, and ~celibacy and in
fertility among those who are really equipped for
leadership.
1t has been proven conclusively, said Dr. Bran
non, that capacity is inherited. Inasmuch as through
the progress of the generations all strains of inherit
ance tend to cross, and as the unfit are more pro-
life than the fit, the kind of philanthropy which
tends to perpetuate the unfit must necessarily in
crease the proportion of un6tness and thereby con-
tribute to the deterioration of the race.
There we have the biological phase of a problem
which is of tremendous social importance. Such
as the race has made have been due to a
process of natural selection in which the fit survived
and the unfit were eliminated. That process operat-
ed often in savage and brutal ways, but to it's oper-
alton may be ascribed whatever the race has achiev-
ed of advancement. 1ndscriminate and ill-consider-
led philanthropy tends toward racial degradation
through providing for the survival of the unfit.
Heredity and environment are the two great
factors in the shaping Of character, and while the
influence Of unwise philanthropy on the former is,
as DR.. Brannon has pointed out, of the highest i'm
it is equally a menace in the field of en-
|vironment. #~
At no time in the worlds history have the con-
|tributions of wealth and energy to philanthropic
purposes equalled those which are being made to-
day by earnest and puhlic-spirited people. Money
lis given with a lavish hand for the relief of the needy,
and thousands upon thousands of people are devot-
ing their lives to the service Of those who appear to
|be unable to provide. for themselves the facilities
for rational and wholesome living. And it is a
solemn fact that a very large proportion of these
contributions Of substance and Of effort are worse
than wasted, because their effect is to perpetuate
intensity and expand the very conditions which
they are intendedgte cure. ,& 1
It is obviously impossible to obtain statistical in
,formationSoh such a subject, but if accurate figures
could be compiled, most of us should probably be
shocked to lelrn how many million people there are
Whose lives are being ;blighted because from their
very infancy they are nurtured in the belief that it
lis the business of somebody continually to do some
thing for them. Indiscriminate dis ..ribution of food,
clothing, toys, entertainment, everything that can
contribute to the comfort and pleasure Of life leads
inevitably to an,attitud4 which accepts g%Fatuities as
ment when desired gratuities are not forthcoming.
i would be. inaccurate to say that ambition, initia-
tive and self-reiance are destroyed. They are never
given opportunity tosexist.
Biologicaliy this indiscriminate and unthinkiing
lpaternalism tends to reduce man to the level Of the
1Sociafly it tends to.bring the existing generation to
that levelby withholding from the1individual every
Incentive to develop useflily the capacity which he
lhas inherited and TO exercise the powers that are
ll1tent@ in him.
Old and familiar conception ii that 81 Adam.
placed inS the garden 81 Eden with nothing to III
but enjoy The bountiesswhich had been provided sfor
him Isl anotner powsf, and without any efh6ort 81 hiiss
cwlpaf II that were III the onception Adams
dfalf 49, ~ ineyitaht sSxths movement d fJthhe plan
EMos xE&aNase strong snoaehgto saar--
sv'ys ssAilBsFsRFSs6aee HEaliy,S xnioths S q