The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-10
THE MARRIAGE QUESTION.
Mr.. Reeve Responds to DIR. Housers
Criticisms.

Criticisms.
To THE EDIToR-Sir: DR.. Houser writes
very pretty article, published in your
issue OF Sunday, May "A, in which he crit
icises my book, The Prison Question"
basing his criticism wholly on extracts
from the chapter on marriage, made by
The SENTINEL in It's notice in the issue OF
April 10.
1t is hardly fair for professional to crit
icise any part of book without reading
1t; and it generally happens to one who
does so as it has to Dr.. Houser; that his
criticism is of something the author has
not proposed or thought Of II ne will 20
to the Bowen Merrill Co, get the book
and carefully read it, while he may find
abundance to critcise. he will see that l
have proposed no such things as he criti-
cises. he will see emphasized what he
already knows: that indiscriminate mar
riage of those wholly unfit TO become par
ents has led and is leading to widespread
and irreparable physical and mental de-
generacy, especially to destruction of
moral perceptions and practices; that
the offspring of such marriages-or if ille-
gitimate-can neither provide nor maintain
the homes he pictures, nor entertain the
emotions or love, or faith he fixes as a
foundation for improvement. Nor can
they be taught" TO do so, as he suggests.
He will see that the chapter on marriage
from which he has read something, is
based on what proceeds and is qualified by
what follows it; and taken as a whole the
propositions are entirely legitimate in
theory and practice; that such a system
OF breeding as he seems to perceive is not
spoken OF as a proposition, but what Is
proposed is, that the law shall not con-
tinue TO open the way Tor and encourage
the flow of fatally poisonous streams,
pouring into the social sea and as far as
1t can do so, shall give harmless direction
TO such as must flow, and cut them off
where it can; while 1t educates the fec
ble-minded to help themselves some, pre-
vents their reproducing their Kind; IN
stead of licensing habitual drunkard TO
marry, prohibits him as lar Is possible, and
shuts him up II necessary, to prevent bis
forcing onto society brutal progeny. So
of the insane, the confirmed criminal, the
viciously and incurably diseased.
DIR. Hauser does violence to his own in
telligence when he asserts without read
ing the book that MIR. Reeves plan car
ried out fully would be TO select few of
the best developed males and females of
the human stock, set them apart for the
propagation of their kind, for few years
during the prime OF life, changing about
and re-mating with Others" etc. While
such process would vastly improve the
stock, no such proposition was ever made
by me. Ny proposition simply was TO
:
named-of such as could beget only pos
terity either physically or mentally dis
| eased or degenerate; that is. the law does
so now as to a few, and | would enlarge
the list to include others which | named
| and so divert or dry up 50 many more
vicious sources. How can this require the
selection OF a few" of prime stock only,
| lin the prime of life" and changing
| about and re-mating" TO breed from? Does
| he wish it to be understood that he is in
favor OF the licensing and providing Tor
aiding in civil contracts between those
who are viciously diseased, incurably
| scrofulitic, OF insane diathesis, criminal
mentality, irreclaimable drunkards, her
editary paupers, etc, in form of marriage,
knowing that offspring of like character
must follow?
Does he really believe that the "ele-
| gance in art" dignity of law" ''sanctity
| of religion" he refers to, can be taught to
or learned by such characters, or be prac-
ticed and maintained by them? Why:
"America" has been trying to teach
these things by every possible means.
| What has resulted? In 1850 we had one
criminal in about every $500 of popula-
ton. In 1880 we had about one in every
| S00 today we have one in about every
| 500 or less; and not one in ten Is arrested
and punished or shut up We cannot
| build asvlums and prisons fast enough to
| receive and care for the helpless, the de-
fective and the vicious, they flow in on us
in such constantly widening streams; and
| the viciousness and reckiessness OF crimi-
| nal brutality increases in equal or greater
| proportion Such teaching" is not
enough. If DIR. Houser was teaming in a
| billy district hauling heavy loads, he
would not trust to a strong team, breech-
| ing on the harness, and teaching" his
brake on his wheels as well. Government
is doing that kind of work and hauling
heavy loads That is not all. The sleeper
| the hills the more is being piled on to the
| load by unwise legislation and irresponsi-
BILE characters it begets. Its social team
can't be taught" to hold back, and it is
not strong enough in moral harness only.
| 1t needs a brake and legislative hindrance
from adding to the load. DR.. Houser will
see that propose rational provision il
| he will read the book If he has better
plan let him give it to the public.
c. Ii. REEVE.
Plymouth, June 5.