The record-union., 1894-02-24
CRIME AND MARRIAGE.

Sorosis has been discussing crime and
marriage and the proposition to prohibit
the marriage of those convicted of capital
crimes, or Of second offenses; of habitual
drunkards, and of those suffering from
incurable disease. Also, the removal of
children from depraved parents, and for
law compelling criminals to be self-sup
porting.
Since Sorosis has the reputation of be-
ing a very cranky and extremist organ
ization, it is we'll for these subjects that
they did not originate with it. Long be-
fore Sorosis was thought of the idea was
advanced that society should prohibit the
confirmed criminal class from producing
its kind, since the transmission Of crimi-
nal and vicious traits is clearly estab
lished as a fact.
But prohibition Of marriage would not
effect the end desired. Hence very many
able writers and profound sociologists
have urged the sterilization of the in
corrigible criminal. If it would be wise,
as is agreed by great number of people,
to prohibit those who are diseased from
marrying; those, for instance, known to
be incurably scrofulous; if under the sa-
cred warning of the clergyman before he
pronounces the decree of marriage, that
cause, if any exists, shall be made known
why the marriage should not take place,
it is wise and humane to prohibit the
BANS why would it not be equally wise
and just to forbid by law the union in
in all likelihood come into the world to
suffer from criminal impulses and in
herited disease?
1t is question, in fact. that is engaging
some of the best minds of the world, in
all lands, to-day. The Brooklyn Times
says:
Society would require to be in an intensely
sociaiiStlc frame OF mind before such laws as
these could be passed. 1t is unqueStionabie
that a vast number of people should not
marry, and il is unquestionable, also, that
reasons that it has TO condne the vicious and
support the incapable. But the difficulties of
imposing celibacy on those who do not choose
to accept the privilege OF the law to intrude IN
the matter would be very great. The whole
trend OF laws within the present century has
! been TO facilitate rather than retard the re-
suits OF q natural selection between the sexes.
divorce laws seem TO be an expression OF the
growing sentiment in favor OF not preventing
d good union in Difference to a failed one.
They may be a mistaken expression OF this
sentiment, but they are capaDie OF being con-
strued to represent repugnance TO bad mar
riages and an eagerness to facilitate good ones.
We do not think it follows that society
would require TO be in a socialistic frame
of mind to enforce such laws. But that
the enforcement would long be difficult
is conceded. Moreover we may well
doubt whether efforts of this character
are accomplished by legislation prl-
marily. Men are made to fear but are
never convinced by Act of Parliament.
We should prefer for beginning in the
desired direction to call into play moral
and intellectual forces, to enlarge intelli-
gence and endeavor to move the under
standing. We do not claim that this
would be a rapid process. On the con-
trary, it would be very slow. But the
public mind may be so informed upon
the subject that restraint would be possi-
BILE through law without any upturning
of society, or its conversion to socialistic
views.
We remove the children of depraved
parents from their control now; not in all
| cases, only in the few; but the principle
is established of the right of society to do
so, and it is done in nearly every State
in the Union. The logical. inevitable re-
suit in time of the exercise of this right
must be its extension to prohibit the
begetting of such children under the
sanction of the law. We do not see how
this end can be escaped, if the present
drift of thought and action continues. 1t
will not come about in the day of the
present generation, but we believe that
some day it will.
AS to compelling criminals to be self
supporting, who opposes it? Who to-
day demands that they shall be idle, de-
pendents, drones, burdens upon the in
dustrious? No sincere, thinking and good
citizen.