The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-26
FIRST MOVE TOWARD
REIGN OF SCIENCE
That Is the Meaning Of That Recent
Ohio Marriage Bill.
MORE DEVELOPMENTS YET TO COME
After the Restriction OF Marriage Are
to Come Euthanasia for Incurabies.
Death for Misshapen Babies, aud
the Killing of Confirmed Criminals.
science's Latest Ideas.
Washington Letter in the Sun.


Washington Letter in the Sun.
The introduction of a bill I'm the OHIO
legislature to restrict marriage to per-
sons OF sound bodies and sane minds Is
not due to the caprice of the doctor
legislator who presented II. According
TO the statement of a man of science
attached to the Smithsonian institution
this is the first step toward what he
calls "the reign of science" and it is
not the suggestion of any one man.
but Of a number. The final steps as
indicated by him are revolutionary
so revolutionary that progress must be
slow, though the men who are inter-
ested harbor no doubts of ultimate sue
cess. Ohio was chosen as tho field for
the first effort after long delihcration.
because experience has shown that the
people of that state are more prompt
ana ardent than any other to apply
new idea the instant it is seized by
the intelligence"
This bill iS the product Of three or
four years correspondence among per-
sons who are addicted to the pursuit
Of science in different parts of the
country. 1t was drawn UP long ago
ana after many alterations and elimi-
nations, copies We're submitted to the
approval of. more than a score of men
who are famous in the world Of science,
including two or three physicians in
New York. 1t is not expected that the
bill will become n law at this session,
the first purpose being to make people
familiar with the subject and to induce
them to recognize the soundnesS of its
principle. THE Utopian idea OF this
year is the practical policy of next
year." said its advocates. 1t was be-
lieved that the novelty of the measure
would cause it to he discussed by the
newspapers of the whole country and
set the public to thinking about it. The
desirabilty of the kind of marriages
that are alone allowed by the bill they
consider self-evidert, and in time ar
guments will he presented in defence
ST the intervention, of the state.
4 TO AVERT DEGENERACY.
"The ultimate aim," said one of the
men interested in 1t, "is to rescue the
human race from the obvious tendency
toward deterioration and degeneration.
The physical deterioration of civilized
mankind was observed by Jean Jacques
that our ways of living were fatal to
strong bodies, active lives, and long
living. Go backn he exclaimed
Abandon the destructive methods and
manners of civilized society. Take y,
the woods. and in the simple savage
state regain the strength that has been
dissipated.'
Prof. Max Nordau and Prof Lom-
nrOSn ta oh
ers and we'll qualified to determine the
tendencies of the time, have revealed
how positively and rapidly moral de-
, generation has advanced. They have
found in the asymmetry and malfor-
nation of the skull and in the miss
hapen ears and other physical defects
the sure indications of a degenerate
race. A German statistician, an. alb
stract of whose paper has appeared in
the Medical Record, has shown by the
census returns of the different coun-
tries that the centenarians are con-
lined almost exclusively to the least
civilized and least prosperous and edu-
Gated peoples and classes of society
Actual paupers, deprived Of the power
of overindulgence, show a far higher
percentage of centenarians than the
nobility or even than the well-to-d
classes.
"Zola, today himself victim to g
prejudice and race hatred that belongs
TO barbaric age, has called this the
century OF science 1t is that only In
the sense that science did not begin its
revolutionary career until this century
was fully open. Born in the days o.
Sir Isaac Newton, science was in swad.
ding clothes almost down to the be
ginning OF this half century. But tn,
spirit of science does not vet permeat,
society and dominate the thoughts anC
lives of men. The fact is obtrusiy,
that this is an age of softness. Will,
science is as hard as adamant. w,
have womanized and are womanizing
But the day of science is dawning anC
the spirit and methods of science viii
be called upon to check the destruct
i've influences of an unscientific system
of living.
WHAT SCIENCE WILL DO.
What will science do? When sci
ence actually reigns and legislates, III,
restriction OF marriage to the sounC
and sane and to those capable of car
ing for the children they bring into tn,
world will be only one among man,
N''''SH hNNNSSoiy " lIc preservation %
the human race. No rational perso,
denies the desirability of the object o
limiting marriage, but the opposition
is chiefly against new invasion o
personal liberty and antagonism to th,
dictates of love. Love heeds not caste
nor sleep a broken bed In our pres
ent haphazard life. disease and deform
fty are no bar to love. But when il 4
seen to be choice between restric
tion and the rapid and fatal degener
acy Of the race the opposition will di
minsh.
Science will kill the wretched Thi
important policy is already further ad
vanced than most people know or vii
believe or want to believe. Euthana
sia, the cure for incurables painles
death for the hopelessly afflicted. ha
more advocates than the inexperience,
can imagine. Few were disposed I
creCit the statement Of the vice-presi