The Dickinson press., 1888-09-08
SCIENTIFIC WEDLOCK.
THE PHYSICAL AND MORAL EFFECTS
OF UNWIsE MARRIAGES.

Il
| Mating Among Savagcs-A Law III Brazil,
Deterioration of Royal Blood In Eu-
rope-Germany's Peril-Physical Culture
Should sc Looked Aftcr-Rcsults.
1t is both interesting and instructive to
study tho people and races of the earth, as
their methods of contracting marriages i'll
tlucnce their deterioration or advancement.
Among the Esquimaux, who rank very low
on the scale of humanity, marriage is a mere
matter of convenience The sentiment of
love seems almost unknown. Tho woman
simply needs to be fed, and the man requires
some one to make his clothes and to take care
of his hut while he is hunting or fishing The
contract is made when the parties arc in i'll
fancy. Tho boys father selects little girl
for his sons wife, and pays her father for her
perhaps pair of snow shoes or dozen
percussion caps. The two are then consid-
cred engaged, and when they become old
enough live together 1t is ut once evident
that no attention can here be given to those
points which should govern n wise and sccn-
tinc marriage. The prospective bride and
groom are too young, ut tho time when they
arc alilanccd, for any ono to know into what
sort of representatives of their race they will
develop. Perhaps the question of cheapncss
is the main one. Their method of contract
nS marriage alliances goes far to show why
1t Is the EsquimauX have remained SO long
at their present low level
In various parts of South America there is
an ample field to study tho effects of Judi
cious alliances. There exists there almost
every variety of cross between the native I!,-
dians, the resident and indoent Spani;,rds
and other more active, vigorous and intel
lectual Europeans. The alliances are hardly
formed with view to the laws of scientific
pmrntage, though they clearly show the
working of these when they have been OBJ
served, as we'll as the opposite effect when
they have been disrcgardcd. There is IL re
markable and selfimposed family law which
popularity prevails, we aro told, throughout
Brazil i'll relation to matrimony. 1t is rccos;-
nizcd among all tho higher classes The ma,,
who is about to marry is required to furnish
II certificate from one or moro physicians
that he isfrcc from diseases of II certain char.
acter, and that he is free also from all signs
OF any of the diseases which are liable to DO
transmitted to the offspring Not only that,
but the physicians consulted must testify
That, as far rs they can learn, there exists no
reason to believe that the union will be othc;
han i'll accord with the laws of sanitation.
Tho ruling families of many of the small
| European states have their range in marriage
selection SO restricted by their social code us
20 furnish noteworthy examples of the dis
obedience of the laws of scientific wedock.
The consequence is, tho members are often
'ceble minded, weak bodied bigotc,l aud dis
eased Francis Cation speaks of tho disap
pcarance-larSely due to marriage selection
IN England of the once famous and thorough
bred looking Norman type. When found
now it generally exists, not among cclebli-
ties, but i'll inconspicuous members of nristo-
cratic familics-such as sundistinsuisIcd army
officers and the like. He notes, too, the very
evident superiority in highbrcd appearance
Of the otherwise less noteworthy Austrians
over the modern Prussians Yet tho
Prussians-wcl i'll tho worlds front us
they have placed themselvcs-are run.
ming race danger in their constant
employment i'll the army of their best men.
These arc exposed to carly death, arc often
tempted into vice, and arc prevented from
marrying during tho prime of life The
shorter and weaker men, with fcebcr consti-
tutions, are left ut home to raise the families;
and thus danger is threatened to the con
tinued superiority of the population.
In many countries the poorer classes marry
early and have large families. They are too
| ignorant to know anything of the scientific
laws which should govern marriages and pa
rcntagc. Not only are they poor and ig.
norant, but often vicious. Says Greg: "Thc
"alelcss, squalid unaspiring lrishnnun multi
plies like rabbits; the frugal, farseeing, self
respecting Scot, stern in his morality, spirit
ual i'll his faith, sagacous and disciplined in
intelligence, passes his best years in struggle
and celibacy, marries late, and leaves few
behind him. Given n l;Cid originally peoI,lcu
by II thousand Saxons and Il thousand Cclts
and ina dozen generations iivc-sixths of the
population would he Celts; but five-sixtlls of
The property, of the power, of the intellect,
would belong to the one-siXth of the baXOns
hat remained" Says another writer: SIT
is one of the laws of life that each individual
Shall to n great extent take the benefits and
c'iiS OF lis own nature no matter whether
these come from ancestors by Inheritance or
are self produced from habit. a child is en-.
titled Il To birth with rs few defects of char
ncter and constitution as it is possible to give
it. Parents are bound by honor and 10y their
own self interest, if they bring children into
the world, to do it under such circumstances
and conditions that their offspring may live
healthy, happy, useful lives. To bring chill
circn into the world which will be incapable,
criminal or so diseased that their whole lives
will bo miserable. is wrong if not crime"
The day when true sanitary marriage will
become the rule is a long way off. The need
must be made more plainly evident. In this
country we are developing, from tho ANAL
gamation of many strains, q race wholly new
to the world. Our immigrants, as they inter
marry with those that have preceded them,
produce descendants OF u quicker and moro
aggressive mental type than their own, and
it is notet. by Darwin that tho bodies and
limbs Of these descendants are very noticca
bly, longer than those Of their ancestors. Dur
ing our civil war the uniforms manufactured
to fit the average American soldier, including
those Of foreign descent, though born here
were found, as rule, to be much too long
for foreigners just arrived When we shall
lave learned, and learned to apply, the laws
Of proper selection i'll marriage our race
ought to be second to none in health nnd
physical development, and that means, also,
intellectual advancement. a wide step to-
w;ird the needed reform has been taken by
NJ, as Il people, for far more than ever before
arc We interested in physical culture, upon
which health so clearly depends. There is u
promise l!lIL III VIII JeG Ei!c tile Ll,1u pace
IN the curriculum Of education which it de-
ayrves.
Our schools now, OIL account of the absence
Of a proper system of physical culture, arc
constantly sending out into the world young
men and young women who, by reason of
their iniiri.nties, never ought to marry. And
lam, our III ventilated counting rooms and
factories are generating an army, the of.
s;jriag Of which must present every phase Of
Bodily iinperfection. The remedy for this is
physical culture, and the sooner it is recoy-
Ei::ed by all, and particularly by our cdu-
Gators, The better Social reformers and phi
l.ntllropists have here a wide field for cult
vat,o, Let them impress upon our growing
youth tine Importance Of healthy bodies, har
',loniously developed by proper exercise. Let
tacin also aid them everywhere, as Our be-
!!e.olent institutions here in Boston have
l'i:.c by providing ay.nnasiums and grounds
ia open air sports, and they will well have
earned the ishcst reward for their labors.-
boston Herald.
Australian Theory Of War.
y novel theory Of naval war proposed ly
corrsspnntlcut To The SYDNEY NIornin,,