[Ads-l] Saying: The test of a nation's civilization is its care of its weakest members.

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Great information. Thanks for your efforts Dan and Ben.
Garson

On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 5:29 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> More from the late 19th century...
>
> "Buddhism and Christianity," New Englander, Apr. 1874, p. 284
> The true test of a civilization is in its elevation of the masses, its
> exaltation of the average of the masses, its exaltation of the average man
> in comfort, in culture, in morals; in all that makes a man.
> https://books.google.com/books?id=wo8FAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA284
>
> "The Next Step," Christian Union, Oct. 21, 1886, p. 3
> The supreme test of a civilization is the manner in which it treats its
> weak and helpless subjects.
> https://books.google.com/books?id=3b1NAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA163
>
> Women are also used as the civilizational test...
>
> "Colliers and Collieries," The American Eclectic, Sep. 1842, p. 330
> [From the Quarterly Review, June 1842]
> The state of women is the true test of civilization in every community.
> https://books.google.com/books?id=FYJHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA330
>
> "The Burden-Bearers of the Old World," The Ladies' Repository, Jan. 1875,
> p. 50
> Indeed, we are accustomed in some measure, to gauge the Christianity of a
> country by the way it treats its women.
> https://books.google.com/books?id=CCNLAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA50
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 1:28 PM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> “The true test of civilization is not the census, nor the size of cities,
>> nor the crops, but the kind of man that the country turns out.”--Ralph
>> Waldo Emerson, Society and Solitude, 1870.
>>
>> On Mar 13, 2017 4:58 PM, "ADSGarson O'Toole" <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > There is a large family of sayings that present a metric for
>> > evaluating a society. Here is an example.
>> >
>> > Year: 1913
>> > Title: Proceedings of The National Conference of Charities and
>> > Correction at the Fortieth Annual Session Held in Seattle, Washington,
>> > July 5-12, 1913
>> > Article: Probation, Prisons and Parole: The Honor System of Prison Labor
>> > Author: Mrs. Millie R. Trumbull, Portland, Oregon (Representing
>> > Governor Oswald West)
>> > Start Page 116, Quote Page 116
>> > Printer: Fort Wayne Printing Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana
>> >
>> > https://books.google.com/books?id=haY5AQAAMAAJ&q=%
>> 22weakest+members%22#v=
>> > snippet&
>> >
>> > [Begin excerpt]
>> > The test of a nation's civilization is its care of its weakest members.
>> > [End excerpt]
>> >
>> > The expression is highly variable. The first part might refer to a
>> > society, nation, government, or civilization. The latter part might
>> > refer to the poor, the less fortunate, the helpless, or the lowest.
>> >
>> > Perhaps a list member would be willing to share some earlier examples
>> > and/or examples from prominent individuals. I see claims that it is
>> > biblical or ancient, but would like precise citations.
>> >
>> >
>>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org