The record-union., 1897-06-27
some RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
Copyrighted by Memo.

Copyrighted Dy Memo.
Continuing our comments upon the
question of the proper care of the
feeble minded, let me, in order to en-
phasize the demand for prompt and
general action, make a lengthy men
ton of some facts set forth by E. p.
Bicknell, Esq, Secretary of the Indiana
State Board of Charities. / have no
special reason for selecting Indiana
above. other States-for all have the
same conditions to contend Without
his stat ements are near at hand where
1 am writing this, and they speak with
greater authority than my unsupported
statements would do.
He says: THE great threatening
danger from the increase of feeble
mindedness is the frequency, almost
certainty, with which it is passed from
parent to child" Take the
fact that there are over 5000 feeble
minded persons in Indiana to-day, of
whom about one-half are women, and
think of that in relation to the other
fact that 100 feeble minded women, of
whom we have partial records, are the
mothers of at least 149 feeble minded
children, and the real significance and
danger of the situation begins to be
apparent" He then gives many fam
lily histories in Indiana, one of which
must be inserted here as a typical one,
that ought to arouse my readers from
any lethargy in regard to the subject
and force them to a determination that
such things must stop, and because
they must they can be made to.
In one of the Southern Indiana coun-
ties is a family, of which from one to
six members have been in the poor
asylums at all times for thirty and
probably forty years. Many of the
members have died, but their descend
ants have always been ready to take
their places in the ranks of pauperiSm
and vice. 1t is impossible to secure
a complete record of this family, but
from the fragmentary history which is
available, and which includes probably
not more than half the whole number
of members, the following facts are
taken: One of the oldest of the family
now living was born in 1923 He is
feeble minded. His first wife was
feeble-minded Four children We're the
result of this marriage, two sons and
two daughters. All We're feeble-mind
ed. These children were named Mary,
Margaret, Andrew and George Wash
ington. The first wife died and in his
old age this man married a second
time, his second choice being also a
feeble-minded woman. The two daugh-
ters who were born to the first wife
of this man were, as I have said, feeble
ind dc6 1iyrir1 TO Hoxy md
inmates of the poor asylum Neither
has ever married. Mary has borne six
or seven children. Two of them have
been dead for years and their mental
condition is not positively known Two
daughters now living are in the school
for feeble minded, and son, who
died within a few years, was feeble
minded. A third daughter is feeble
minded and is the wife of a feeble
minded man. They are not in the poor
asylum, but live in a neighboring coun-
ty, where they are given assistance by
a Township Trustee This couple has
one child of whose mental condition
have no information. The older sister,
Margaret, has a daughter. feeble-mind-
ed and unmarried, who works in an
other county, and a feeble minded son
now in the school for feeble minded.
This woman has also borne two or
three other children, now dead, but all
said to have been feeble minded. OF
the son, Andrew, we have no record.
He is dead and probably died in youth.
The son, George Washington, married
feeble-minded woman and a feeble
minded son was born to them. George
Washington afterwards separated from
his wife and later married a second
feeble-m minded woman. Before mar
riage this woman had borne an illegiti-
mate child by George Washington This
child was also feeble minded 1t should
be remembered that nearly all the per-
sons referred to in this family record
have been during the whole or a part
of their lives a burden upon the COM
munity. Every member Of the family,
SO far as known, has been feeble-mind
ed. Probably one-half the members
of the family have ben illegitimate
Those who have entered into the mar
riage relation have had little or no
respect for it, and there is much doubt
as to the legitimacy of the children
born to married mothers. The history
of this family is not closed. AS it
stands to-day, there are probably thir-
teen members supported wholly or,
chiefly through public funds. Hardly a
year passes that other feeble-minded,
illegitimate children are not born into
the family. The burden upon the tax
payers grows greater and the curse of
feeble mindedness and illegitimacy
spreads.
1t must be apparent now to all who
read with head and heart in combina-
ton, that this country cannot afford to
have this taint of preventible imbecility
gaining stronger and stronger hold up
on our vitality. Broad plans, faith
fully carried out, must be adopted else
the evil will grow beyond our control.
In the first place all feeble minded
women, during the child-bearing age,
should be kept in institutions other
than the poor asylumS of townships
Next, though feeble-minded men are
not likely to find wives among normal
women, they ought for their own sakes
and for the sake of making them pro-
ductive laborers, to be gathered with
their kind in institutions where the
whole plan is for the benefit of these
detectives and where the constant
watchfulness as to occupation makes
work stimulating to the feeble intel
lect
Further, we must put away all senti-
mental protest against these thousands
being forced to celibacy. Celibacy is
the only way to stop this self-muIti-
plying stream. There are higher duties
than reproducing our kind. The late
war removed ten times ten thousand
and thousands beside from life, and all
chance to marry, yet We admire them