The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-13
Chicago Physicians Approve of
Regulation of Marriage.
OHIO LEGISLATORS PLAN
Humanitarians AL Agree That Under
the Most Perfect Conditions the
Wife Has Much the Worst
of the Bargain.

MI al hCi dppdlSHlly pO-
sition that society has not only the
| power but the right to determine who
| should and who should not marry.
Judging from the text of his bill, Mr..
| Parker believes in the old doctrine of
the survival Of the fittest. While he does
not go to the extent of demanding that
/ all children who show signs of degen-
eracy should be externlnated at birth.
/ his object is much the same.
There are those in the world who be-
/ lieve in the old Spartan doctrine OF de-
struction to all who become burdens OH
/ the state. Mr.. Parkers bin aims not so
much at this phase of the question as
the limitation of the propagation of dis
| eased or criminal members of the race.
| His proposed enactment, whether prac-
| ticable or impossible of satisfactory re-
| suit, aims at the root of the evil, as
| medical men and sociologists regard it.
| That is, that crime and disease in its
| worst forms are hereditary, and that IL
| the persons who are most liable to pro-
| duce such types are prevented, society
| will win by just thus much.
MIR. Parker has limited the action of
| his bill to certain factors in life which,
| in the opinion of local physicians, are
not all that should be included in such
| a law. Ii such law could be made eff
fective. He has in terms declared that
no persons who are dipsomaniacs, vic
TINS of true or hereditary insanity, or
insanity resulting from loathsonle dis
ease, victims of vice or the diseases
which the medical profession catalogue
with leprosy, tuberculosis or consump-
ton, should be permitted to marry.
Medical men eminent In their profession
hold that IL the whole subject should be
a proper one for regulation the Ohio bill
is by no means broad enough.
1t would not be too much to say that
nine out of ten medical men realize thai
relation would result in vast benefit to
humanity. There is some difference of
opinion as to whether or not the law
making power can constitutionally ex-
ercise such control There is none re-
garding the ultimate good to be derived
from such regulation. Under existing
social regulations a man manifestly I'M
fit for the marital relation may espouse
pure woman and it is the business of
nobody but the contracting parties. In
most cases the female is unaware of the
disability of her mate, but that under
present conditions is her risk.
Humanitarians all agree that under
the most perfect conditions the wife has
much the worst Of the bargain. The
suffering is all hers. no matter what
may befall. SocioloSists agree that she
should suffer no ills her nature does not
demand. But the prevention of I'M
speakable suffering to the woman is
WHICH lew sclellll5IS are aDle
to accomplish. Just how such a law, If
enacted, would tend to check the union
of unsuitable persons nobody is able TO
say. The general opinion is that it
would be of little avail unless the ma
tional congress should take similar ac-
ton. Such regulation in the abstract
would be approved by most physicians.
The practicability of the law is another
thing.
Il read an abstract of this proposed
law" said w. Z. Belfield. Il believe /
have fair conception of the purpose
of the author. Regardless of it's eff
cheney to accomplish what he aims at
] should discuss the problems present
ed more as what we should have than
what we can get. In the abstract the
proposed law does not go far enough by
any means. / am a firm believer in the
regulation of the marriage relation.
From the standpoint of humanity | be-
lieve l would be willing to go on record
as saying that it would be better for
the world If all children of the classes
included We're put out of the way in
infancy. l would go farther in the alb
stract than you have indicated. / would
say that children would be much better
out of the world than in it. All would
be better off If we had never been born.
But from social standpoint / believe
that the children of such parents as
have been mentioned would be better
oAL anu TIE NUIlu DIT large WOULD gam
IL they were quietly put out of the way
at birth
But no man, especially doctor
would be willing that society should
consider him such monster as to adj
veeate child murder. The more hui
name way to treat this vexed question
would be to make the birth of such
children impossible. The prevention of
the mismating of man and woman is,
in my mind, more or less a duty of soci-
ETY.. How to accomplish this lis some
thing | cannot determine. Such a law
passed by single state would be of no
effect. Persons determined to marry
generally succeed in spite of all obsta-
Giles, legal or social. The law says that
O marriage once celebrated must
stand, no matter what might have been
the obstacles before the ceremony.
Such law In a single state would
not protect the citizens of that state
If the persons who desired to enter the
state Of matrimony were debarred by
the duly constituted board of exami-
ners they would wed just the same
They would go to another state where
such laws did not exist, enter into the
contract, which, being legal there, would
be legal everywhere, and return and
live as man and wife in the state that
had declared they We're legally unfit to
marry. The laws would be defeated by
legal means. This is where such legis-
lation would be of no effect.
In my opinion such law would be
a grand thing" said DIR. John Little
Morris. II am heartily in favor of any
such measure aside from its practical
biiity. There is no doubt that II prop
erly executed it would greatly reduce
suffering. If man or woman either is
suffering from any one of the disabili-
ties mentioned and a number of others
possibly included, he or she is not fit to
produce children. Neither should be
permitted TO do so. The infant should
not be called upon to enter the world
under such fearful handicap If
such a law should be passed and prove
operative ii would mean that most of
the doctors would have to find other |
But the benefit to the |
race would more than counterbaIance |
that fact.
The practicability of such law is
the problematic feature of it. 1t would |