64

The Price of Growth

freemen, as well as good citizens, but it makes criminals also, or at least has made them, till now; and this great increase of criminality is a part of the price we are paying for growth to better things for a larger, more abundant, more Christ-like life.

CHAPTER IV

SAVAGE RACES-IN AUSTRALIA, AMERICA, ASIA AND AFRICA

Lowest Savage Races.-What little social organization there is among lowest savages, is mainly for purposes of warfare, offensive and defensive. Their petty villages or tribes are almost continually at war with one another. Of course there are exceptions, such as the forest Veddahs of Ceylon; but the Veddahs have practically no social organization at all, and no punishment of criminals is found among them. These last facts are true also with regard to the miserable inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego. "Each family circle lives apart, and they combine only in small groups against some common enemy, but recognize not even a temporary leader." If social life does not exist, social punishment for crime is of course impossible.

Among almost all these low savage races, however, there is found the head man, or chief, possessed of a small and jealously limited authority, that varies with his character and warlike prowess. Elders, wise in ancient customs, are nearly everywhere in evidence, as are also witch-doctors, or medicine men, who are both feared and honored. Some of these tribes have no form of worship, no idea, apparently, of a good Spirit, interested in human welfare.

They are intensely devoted to their savage liberty, and to the absolutely sacred duty of personal blood revenge for injury to a man or his family. Every male is a fighter and can surely be relied on to defend the common cause. Among themselves they are, in general, peaceful, mutually helpful and even kindly-in reverential obedience to old an

cestral customs. Incest and evil witchcraft awaken, everywhere, the most violent abhorrence and bring down speedy social vengeance upon the guilty, destroying them, oftentimes with their possessions; but such true criminals are very rare. Instances of treason are not found at all among the lowest groups. In those somewhat more highly developed, "black treachery" does, most infrequently, occur; or at least there is a known social penalty of death or outlawry for the offence. Infanticide of twins, weakly or deformed children, and the killing of the aged are very generally practised; not to propitiate any demon, but because the group cannot afford to be burdened with thoroughly useless members of the community. Aged people, themselves, are the last to wish these customs changed, and we can readily see how they aid social strength and effectiveness. "They know" that the mother could not possibly rear both twins, and if the two are boy and girl, such close connection of nearest relatives within the womb is abhorrent to them, as thoroughly incestuous.'

In the following tables R (revenge) stands for a tumultuous, impulsive and speedy vengeance; while P (punishment) represents a deferred, more calm and reasoned procedure; but it is very difficult, from scanty evidence, to draw such distinctions, and therefore the letter P is generally used. However, in all cases of treason, incest and evil-witchcraft, the evidence itself is given, and the reader can, if he chooses, draw his own conclusions.

1 Spencer and Gillen, p. 52. Danks, p. 292. Turner, pp. 284, 286, 304;

335-6.

All harms of man to man are shown to be of rare occurrence within these savage groups. The evidence is both abundant and conclusive. If tort offences are so infrequent, instances of true crimes are far more rare and hard to obtain, but they can occasionally be found. The location of the various races and tribes in the tables, follows, in general, the degree of social development attained; but the order, thus determined, does not pretend to any degree of scientific exactness, nor is it necessary that such should be secured.

1 "The rude, rough man, left entirely in a state of nature, is not in himself evil and wicked, still less is he so from principle; but he follows blindly the impulse of his passions, which lead him to acts, that to us, in the high point of civilization we have attained, appear as crimes." Lichtenstein, ii, 51.