New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-10
Az EVIL FAMILY.

The problcm so unanimously discussed D.!
| NJ lola in his RougoI. Macqnart series mas
| been reduced to cold statistics by Professor
pcclmann Of the University OF Bonn. he
has been investigating the lives and characters
of tho descendants Of Il woman who was q
confirmed drllnknrd. and who died early Ill
the present century The five or six genera
tlons of her direct posterity number, to date
S34 persons OF these he has asccrfaincd inc
record of no less than 900. He reports that
1O6 of them were of ilcgtimate Dirth. W.
wcrc professional bcggars. III were inmates of
almshollses ISL women made trade OF I'M
chastity. IS were convicted of serious crimes,
and were condemned for murder The total
cost 10 the State Of caring FOR these pauperS
and furnishing the criminals. and the amounts
prIvatcIy given in aims and lost through their.
are rcckoncd mt 81. 26O,OOO, or more than ST.
500 year Truly an expensive family
ON thc face of il. this is Il strong case for
the theory of hcrcdity 1t by no means proves
IT, however 1t Is entirely possible that the
norcnts Of this mother Of cyil-doers may have
been persons of irrcproachable morals. IL IS
also possible that among the 81 descendants
there were not n few of high character Inc
question OF environment must he considered as
we'll When n child is born and brought up in
the slums. with vicious and criminal surround
ings habituatcd daily to all SORTS of evil, and
indeed COMPELLED by necessity and by senior
authority to participate in ii. We need not go
so far aheld as TO its ancestors to seek rca-
son for its becoming IA bad man or wOman n
child of the purcst parentage would probably,
I'm such circumstances, grow UP with strong
Iicp fot III
It is entirely conceivable that the child OF pro-
fessional criminals. removed at tender years
10 honest and wholesome surroundings and
Influences might grow up TO be most exem-
plary person.
1t is not prudent 10 gcnerallZe too positively
and swccpngy upon such matters Men are
not always and altogether what either heredlty
or environment has made them. But both OF
those forces are undoubtedly potent so poten,
as TO deserve the most careful consideration
in the great work of dealing with pauperism,
vice, and crime. TO what extent they may one
day be controlled by law, it would be hazard
GUS 10 speculate. With the one it would GER
tainly be delicate and difficult matter TO deal.
TO deny TO any portion Of the community the
right to multiply and replenish the earth
would he an extreme measure, to be taken only
with the utmost discretion. Yet surely the
State must have authority to protect itself in
some way from the nflcion upon it OF such
a literal generation Of yipers" as that cited
by Professor Peellmann. SO far as environ
ment IS concerned, there need be less hesita-
ton The slums. which are the breedngplace
Of vice and crime, should be abolished for
the good Of the people" and the children of
the slums who now exist and suffer should
be. by every lawful means within our power,
rescued and redeemed from surroundings
which mean physical and moral death. 1t
would be interesting and most instructive; were
1t possible for the painstaking Bonn pro-
fessor to supplement his statistics with others.
showing what attempts. if any. were made
to reclaim these hundreds of miserables from
sin-inducing surroundings and to give them not
only chance but practical cncoura cement and
assistance toward better walks Of life.