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EDITORIAL PAGE THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN Published Every Afternoon Except Sunday By THE GEORGIAN COMPANY I At 20 East Alabama St,, Atlanta, Ga. Entered ae second-class matter at postofftce at Atlanta, under act of March 3, 1873. •The Wills of Three Rich Men-—Harriman, Sage, Astor UK* And the Lesson They Teach as to Marriage and Wealth. hi l Mill . I i. -11111 - , i__ The whole world feels admiration for .John .Jacob Astor. F He died a brave man. and under the heavy handicap of inherit . ed wealth he lived the life of a good citizen, volunteering his services in time of war, always ready to share in any public-spirited move ment. It is, therefore, with the kindest feeling that the world dis cusses the will of John Jacob Astor, and the lesson that it teaches concerning lives that are idle and husbands and wives that live apart, contrasted with the lives of a husband and wife, working hand in hand, living together, and winning success by helping each other. Recently in this country three very rich men have died. Russell Sage died, lie hogan with nothing except courage and a belief in the old-fashioned idea of marriage as a permanent insti tution. He and his wife worked side by side for nearly half a century. He LEFT EVERY DOLLAR HE HAD TO HIS WIFE. His will said in substance to the world that he had accumulated the millions and tens of millions year after year—that was HIS part of the work. And now ho gave the money to his faithful, life-long companion to use in accordance with her unselfish and wise nature. Most nobly Mrs. Sage has devoted her life and her fortune to her husband's trust. Next came the death of E. H. Harriman, a giant in nation build ing, one whom this country will remember as a builder of roads and an opener of new lands, long after his detractors shall have been forgotten. E. 11. Harriman was a poor young man when he married. His wife, on the contrary, was well-to-do. It did not seem to the world a very brilliant match for her when she married the penniless son of a poor clergyman. That was a marriage in which the husband and the wife lived and worked together. Genius in the brain of Harriman built thou sands of miles of railroads, simplified management, practiced wise economies, increased profits and when Harriman died at an age when his real work should only have begun, he left many scores of r millions. AND HE LEFT EVERY DOLLAR TO THE WIFE WHO HAD LIVED WITH HIM AND WORKED WITH HIM. His will was the’shortest groat will on record. It told the world that in death, as in life, his one thought was for his wife, the mother of his children, the friend of his whole life. And Mrs. Harriman, intelligently and wisely, for the good of the public in endless directions, is spending the great fortune that her husband left her. There you have the lives and the wills of two American citizens. Now comes the will of John Jacob Astor. The young man was horn with a load that few can carry suc cessfully—tremendous wealth. He was inevitably the object of the pursuit of scheming moth ers and of cold-hearted social parasites. ~f He married twice. From his first wife he was divorced. HIS WILL LEAVES HER NOT OS’E DOLLAR. He married again, a young and attractive girl. HIS WILL LEAVES NOT ONE DOLLAR TO HER. Before each marriage, of course, he made suitable provision in accordance with his ideas for the woman he was about to marry. Every dollar that he owned goes to his children. Not a cent to either wife. There is a text for those that discuss the question, “Is Mar riage a Failure?” and for those that wonder whether the marriage institution is to endure. There is a lesson also for those that are interested in the effect of inherited wealth upon the average human being. Not one marriage in one hundred can stand the blighting effect of wealth unlimited and self-indulgence unlimited from the mar riage day. and not one human being in a hundred can endure the < . load of wealth inherited. Praiseworthy and unusual is the man who in spite of wealth, and the absence of all necessity driving him to work, still works and does his share. And honorable the man born rich, flattered and encouraged in egotism, who retains his capacity for affectionate devotion and his fitness for marriage and its deep responsibilities. The world need never worry about the institution of marriage j| or think that it will end. The onlv problem is. HOW SOON WILL HUMAN BEINGS V BECOME WORTHY OF THAT INSTITUTION? You see the best men. the ablest and the greatest, living faith >.t ful married lives, and proving at the end absolute devotion to the wife left behind. By As human beings improve, marriage will improve, becoming H sacred, universal and permanent. f MY FRIEND By ELLA WHEELER WILCOX I Copyright, 1912, by Amerlean-Journal-Examlner II THEN first I looked upon the face of Pain VV I shrank, repelled, as om shrinks from a foe Who stands with dagger poised, as for a blow. I was in search of Pleasure and of Gain; fl turned aside to let him pass—in vain; He looked straight in my eyes and would not go. “Shake hands.” he said, "our paths are one. and so We must be comrades on the way. *1 is plain.” 1 felt the firm clasp of his hand on mine; Through all my veins it sent a strengthening glow. I straightway linked my arm in his and Io! He led me forth to joys almost divine . With God's great truths enriched me in the end, 8 And now I hold him as my dearest friend. The Atlanta Georgian THE LATE HOMER DAVENPORT AND SOME FAMOUS MEN HE HAS SKETCHED 1 " ' '* " *' ~ ' 1 1 ■ " 111 II ■■■■■■■ I l I iiiiß^jgggw^—dh I »I' '.'J.. 1 jl *'" *'*' ■ ■■■’■■ NA 'NwS WT L.< \ VAXs-sv•'«= -A XwJ » ' / zffe* 1 I Mk I '. . zt i T i 1 if M W NEW YORK, May 6.—Hundreds of the most famous Americans were among those who joined in tribute to the genius of Homer Calvin Daven port, the cartoonist, who died Thursday. Some of them wer« at one time and another the victims of the vitriol in which Davenport dipped his pen, but as with Mark Hanna most of the men cartooned by him became his friends. Davenport’s work for the Hearst papers in the 1896 campaign gave him international fame. His cartoons of Hanna, upon whom he put the suit of clothes with the dollar marks, were copied far and wide. Davenport, and Hanna never met until after that bitter campaign was over. They were intro duced in the Republican national headquaiters a few days after the election of McKinley. Cornelius N. Bliss, Vice President-elect Hobart and Murat Halstead were, present. The successful chairman of the national Republican committee held out his hand and said; “Mr. Davenport, I’m glad to meet you. I ad mire your execution, but damn your conception. This was the beginning of a friendship between the pair that ended only on Mr. Hanna’s death. Davenport did a great work. There is no laurel wreath woven or editorial fame and usefulness which the great cartoonist does not share. Under the strong fingers and the virile touch of this mas ter artist Ifistory is made and altered and great reforms are fought and won. It takes a large soul to grasp the meaning of the Letters From Georgian Readers THE SWEEPING EVIL. To the Editor of The Georgian, Atlanta, Ga.: Dear Sir —A few days since I ob served in one of your editorials a reference to the custom prevalent in the business district of sweep ing out stores and sidewalks be tween the hours of 7 and S a. in., and was very much pleased to note that this evil had drawn attention. It has always been the source of considerable speculation to me, sine l first eomm-nced to notice the matter, that the city authori ties should lay so much stress on screening and other sanitary meas ures and entirely overlook probab ly the greatest danger of all —the sweeping of the sidewalks and stir ring up ilri' d sputum, at the very hiiur when the indoor workers shoul'i have th<> benefit of fresh air. lireat sties- is laid on the value of fresh air. and rightfully so. but 1 sometimes walk front the residence section to the edge of MONDAY, MAY 6, 1912. master movements of the age—-and Homer Daven port had it. It takes a master touch to trace in lines of clearness and of power the incarnated virtues and abuses of the age—and Homer Davenport had that touch—satire, scorn, praise, endorsement, advocacy and stern denunciation in a few virile lines without words that rang where editorials were not heard. It was a simple, loyal, lofty soul which animat ed the brave dust, now laid to rest—a comrade in shadow and sunshine, a lover of life, of animals and of men—a child of the desert and of the plains —a lone man in simplicity, and a cosmopolite in breathing pictures that epitomized and inspired the stirring times. Many a machine politician, holding government and destiny in his hands, has writhed under the fearful laceration of the Davenport cartoons. Many a great trust, throned in gigantic power, has trem bled at that magnified and monstrous figure which incarnated the power and the tyranny of pluto cratic plunder, and many a great cause has taken heart and hope when the softening lines of the artist pencil made matchless appeal to the better sentiment of all human life. The figures of the mighty survive. Politicians and magnates, chastened and defiant, go on their way. The straining arms of the helpful or the hurtful hold their grip upon society. But the virile hands of the great editor-car toonist—than whom the world has known no great er—are powerless and still forever—their mission done, their fingers folded in eternal rest. the business district, and then take a closed car to traverse the few blocks to the office, in order to avoid the sweeping. It seems criminal that shop girls and clerks, who work long hours and need ail their powers of resistance to dis ease. should be daily subjected to a spray of all the deadly bacilli. Stores and sidewalks must be cleaned, and it may be difficult to build up sufficient sentiment to re quire the business houses to invest in dust-laying preparations, but the thought has occurred to me that every % store could be required to provide a pipe connection for a hose, between the glass windows and the sidewalk, where it will be inconspicuous, and compel them to wash the sidewalks each morning, instead of sweeping. It would really be a time-saving device and would doubtless prove in economy. The city now cleans a number of streets by washing, and this should be extended to the sidewalk-, on!} the property owners or tenants should be required to do it. in stead of sweeping. This is a com- paratively simple measure, and a great good would be accomplished. I have mentioned this suggestion to both Dr. Gilbert, the president of the board of health, and to Dr. Smith, the city bacteriologist, both of whom apparently considered it meritorious, but probably in the press of other crusades this idea has lain dormant, and it apparently needs crystallization through the press. Yours truly. A CITIZEN. Atlanta. May 3, 1912. WANTS BETTER SANITATION. Mo the Editor of The Georgian: Please accept my sincere thanks for the picture and remarks on the method of Handling the city's re fuse in youri paper of the 2d inst. r. I wish you ijpuld keep up the line you have action. *-let rLE people interested till they trt A n!v lem.tnd for better methods in th’an-handling of the ■■Ct j rs city's garbageyirs SANFORD. Atlanta, Ga.,Fht. y 3. 1912. i 3 F Jhcm THE HOME PAPER Ella Wheeler Wilcox Writes on The Reproduction of the Human Species —and— The Care Exercised in Breeding Animals Written For The Atlanta Georgian By Ella \Vheeler Wilcox Copyright, 1912, by American-Journal-Examiner. A TR. PENDLETON DUDLEY |yl has sent to this column some interesting inclosures, which, he says, are forwarded with doubts as to their suitability for popular reading. These extracts refer to the great time, thought, care and skill bestowed by the gov ernment on the breeding of fine stock, particular!}- horses. The United States department of agriculture demands that mothers of desired trotting horses shall be ' free from “curby hocks" or other decidedly faulty conformations. They must be free from "draft blood" and from "bone spavin," "ring bone.” “lameness of any kind,” “side bone," “heaves.” "stringhalt," “roaring,” “moon blindness” or other blindness. Os course, the sires have been carefully selected, and are pure in blood and free from all disqualify ing flaws. It is by such persistent and sci entific means that perfect speci mens of horse flesh are produced. In opposition to these methods, Mr. Pendleton places the harum scarum methods, as he calls them, governing the reproduction of the human species. Professor Brewer, of Yale, tells of a case in Connecticut, some years ago, where a feeble-minded pauper woman, kept as a public ward, was admired by a half-witted farmer living in an adjoining town. A se lectman of the town maintaining the woman, “to get rid of her sup port.” encouraged the marriage. His short-sightedness, even from the standpoint of immediate money economy, to say nothing of racial economy, became apparent when, a few years later, she and her hus band and three idiotic children drifted into the poorhouse of the husband's town. Interesting records exist of two families of criminals, the so-called “Jukes” and the “Tribe of Ish mael.” From the one man who founded the “Juke” family came 1.200 descendants in 75 years; out of these 310 were professional pau pers, who spent an aggregate of 2,300 years in poorhouses: 50 were evil women, 7 murderers, 60 habit ual thieves and 130 common crimi nals. Dugdale has estimated that the “Juke" family was an economic loss to the state, measured in terms of potential usefulness wasted, costs of prosecution, expenses of maintenance in jail, hospital and asylums. and of private loss through thefts and robberies of $1,300,000 in 75 years, or over SI,OOO of reach member of the family. Similarly the "Tribe of Ishmael.” numbering 1.692 individuals in six generations, has produced 121 known evil women, and has bred hundreds of petty thieves, vagrants and murderers. The history of the tribe is a swiftly moving picture of social degeneration and gross parasitism, extending from its seventeenth century convict ances try to the present-day horde of wandering and criminal descend ants. Professor Irving Fisher, of Yale, says, in his most interesting bulle tin report on “National Vitality, Its Wastes and Conservations:” “It is well known that cultivated plants and animals have been greatly changed and developed by breeding. 'The original apple, as offered by nature to mankind, was the small, sour, bitter crab of the forest, unpleasant, indigestible, in nutritions.’ In 1710 Dr. Davenant, a writer of political economy, es timated that the average weight of dressed cattle did not exceed 370 pounds. In 1846 McCullock stated The King of Mankind Bv PERCY SHAW. HAVE you ever met On your daily way The mightiest King In the world today? Who owns to vassals In every clime, Who knows each language And scoffs at time? To the farmer's boy In the field he goes, And he cries: ' Make haste, Swift jour life stream flows: Cast away your scythe, Through the wide marts fare The joys of triumph Await you there." With the sage profound In his wordy lore He lingers tn sny: “Will you stinly more When your nature longs For the fields and trees. For the hills and streams, For the days of ease?” / ' r< ; ® Or W 'X£. 1 that ‘at present the average, weight of cattle is estimated at or about SOO pounds.’ “Human heredity is now depend ent on haphazard selection. Little attention is paid by those who con template marriage to the question of how much stamina will be trans mitted to the next generation. The story was told of a famous dog fan cier who, when asked why he paid so much attention to his dogs but delegated the care of his children to nurses, replied: ‘My dogs have a pedigree.’ Human pedigrees, no less than canine, rest on a physical basis; yet genealogical records of human begins, while they have much to say of social position, have very little to say of physical ca pacity or intellectual ability. Those who, like Galton and Pearson, be lieve in a science of eugenics, hope that the day will come when pride of inheritance will include as im portant, if hot as the chief items, physical, mental and moral stami na. A tendency in this direction can be discerned. When the nobili ty commanded the reverence of all classes, quite irrespective of abili ty, commoners, however well en dowed by nature., could never ob tain the same respect. But today the. English house of commons is more honored and respected than the house of lords. “Once the importance of a phys ical pedigree comes to be rated at its true value, a'man's pride in his own inheritance will show itself in a correlative feeling of responsi bility for future generations. Fof the sake of children yet unborn, men and women will set for them selves physical ideals of the high est order." It is not. of course, possible to obtain the highest results in breed ing numanity by the same means we obtain such results with fruits or animals. Men and women possess senti ment, constructive brain power and wills, which would prevent ob taining ideal offspring if they were selected as animals are selected, purely for breeding purposes. But were it to become a law that MEN AND WOMEN MUST UN DERGO A CAREFUL EXAMINA TION BY SKILLED SPECIAL ISTS before they could obtain mar riage licenses, and that a heavy fine would be enforced if chil dren were born of people, who had not passed successfully such exam inations, it would soon become the passion and the fashion for young men and women to be strong in body and mind. Our government ought to offer prizes to the men and the women who can pass the best physical ex amination at the age of twenty five. A building lot would be an ad mirable prize to offer a young man; and a similar gift to the young woman would not be unsuitable. Both give an invitation to out door life, and offer a good income in reward for industry. Unoccu pied land, large enough to admit a house, will soon yield money enough to build the house if prop erly cared for. The first born of two such prize winners should also be dowered by the government: and both parents should be obliged to pass another examination before a second child came into the world. Our country is waking to the great need of su pervision over the increase in pop ulation. After one or two hundred vears it will take as much interest in good specimens of men and women as it now does in good .specimens of fruit and horses. To the monarch proud. When the courtier sleeps. He comes like a ghost From the midair deeps; M ould you paint inspired? Would you famous he, With palette and brush? Hasten forth, be free! To the country girl With the rosy lips. Full of joy of life To her finger tips, He whispers of fame: "You shall reign,” he crieg, “Away where the path Os your glory lies.” Can you guess his name? Do you think you know \\ hose to><‘h lights the world With its subtle glow? Whose voice stirs the soul With a fixed intent? This King of mankind?— He is Discontent.