The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-07-15

constitutionany diseased children should
bS peacefully electrocuted wltDln three
months after said disease or deformlty
mas been by thee State physicians pro-
nounced ncurable.
Aren't you forgetting the material In
stinct?''
The mind should be stronger than in
stinct; should overcome it, replied Mrs
Montgomery McGoveTn.
IF our child should be torn idiotc or
.ncurablv deformed," said Mr.. Montgom-
cry McCiovern; Il would at once write
to tie board OF health and demand that
they electrocute it,
Mrs. McGovern smiled and nodded cor
daily.
But how could you consent to such a
thing?' was asked incredulously-
1T would he for the best, she replied,
firmly 1T is for the good Of the race
that all such individuals should be Oh
liberated. The Spartans followed this rule. y
But their race vanished said the
visitor.
"Oniy when all Greece decayed, re-
piled Mrs Mont gomery McGovrrn. lit
would be An act of mercy, OF the great
est charity To the poor, deformed Child
not only one of kindness to the child, but
of ben eft to the race
Mrs. MontGomery-McGovern will soon
be mother, yet she spoke OF the posi-
| bility OF the destruction OF her child as
plaCidly as if she were talking OF the
weather. ucI husband was equally calm.
I'VE have advanced a long way fIom
the status of cur caye-d cling ances-
| tors" he said. We cannot run as fast,
| perhaps, as they could. But, while they
Were ruled by their instincts, we are gov
cIreJ by our intellects. or course, tie
parental instinct rebels at the mere idea
! of having one's own child killed. But we
should think of the betterment of society,
of the whole human family. The growing
tCnuency of cur laws is 10 protect society
| from acts Of individuals. Why snoald not
the law 30 farther? Why should it not be
| logical, and treat causes instead OF eff
fects:''
lin other words" said Mrs. Montgomery
McGovern, why should we not payaS much
attention to the perfection of the human
species as We do 10 the perfection of other
animals2''
But men have souls an danimalshaven't -
| said the visitor. How viii you lie GER
tain to improve the human species by
lettering it only physically and mentality"
Mental and physical perfection will
bring psychic perfection. we think" re-
piled Mrs Montgomery McGovem. III
we all follow the rEles laid down 10y our
society not many genera tions will pass
before this world will be a much letter
place 10 live in. We think before long
l.
be enacted
Otner blanks of the society's platform
are:
Third. All children should be educated
un der the immediate supervision of the
State from the time the child is five years
ola until IL reaches the fifteenth year.
Fourth. The education of all children
should be- INST, physical; second, mental;
third, social. The chlldren TO be allowed
10 choose any religion after their fifteenth
year, but not before, as up to that age
theil power of Judgment and discrimination
is not sufficiently developed
Fifth. All aged, mentally sound persons
10 be cared for at the expense of the State
Sixth. Every person losing permanently
the use OF three sels IS SHOULD be peacefully
eIectrocuted by the State.
Seventh. Ali incurable insane persons to
be eIectrUcuted.
lit would be quite as neIciful to the
hopelessly insane man to kill him pain
lcssly as to keep Linn confined said Mr..
Montgoner-McGoyern.
And the economic side" suggested his
wife
"Yes; think of the amount Of money
and care and labor expended In taking
care of the incurahly insane, which should
nc used in the betterment of the race"
said Mr.. Montgomery MEG overn.
Eighth-Man has no right to take the
life or another physically sound human
being. Murderers should be punished by
Incarceration for life and daily flogging.
we want to make the punis hment for
murder so AWFUL said Mr. Montgomery
McGovern, that the most hardened Grim
inal will not dare to take human life
Electrocution is too merciful.
There is another law l wonld like to
see enacted said Mr. Montgomery Nc
Govern, land that is to limit the number
Of children to two in all families whose
income Is not more than 81 900 year.
But the other members Of the society are
opposed to this, and We will not urge it
for the present.
I'VE expect to present to the legislature
OF New York State at its next session I.
petition for the en- actnent of laws i'm ac-
cGrdance with our platform as l have
given it to you. We anticipate the objec-
ton that such laws would be unconstitu-
tional Then change the Constitution
Constructors have been changed. We will
have a great many signatures to our petit
ton. Hitherto the meetings of our society
have been held onl at the homes OF men,
beers, but we have grown until our MEM
bership now numbers more than 1 so, OF
trh a 1.-Two in New York
"A great many men and women are
heartily in sympathy with us, yet they
dare not come cut openly and join the so
ciety for fear of unpleasant consequences.
Our present Officers are: c. Montgomery
McGoven, president; X. Leslie Dram, vice
president and Mrs. Archibald Langdon,
secretary"