Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-03-05
To Cure by kil.inQ.

|
advocated helping to an easy death
those who were beyond the reach OF
medical skill. as an act of mercy to
them to end their sufferings. This
WAS not entirely new idea, but 1t
made a great sensation both in the
medical profession and among laymen
The dying have some rights and there
are many plausible arguments in
favor Of the judges plan. But now
| New York physician. DIR. w. Duncan
| Mckim. makes a bolder bid for fame
| by putting forward a scheme for the
| Improvement of the race which has
! nothing like it among our sociological
theories There have been barbarians
who have acted upon the principal
which he lays down. and il has
worked very wei in accordance with
their standards. He advocates moth
| ing less than enforcing the survival of
the nttest among men and women.
We get these facts from the review
i'c'''''A
ana it is worth while to follow DR..
| McKi,m's strange ideas for 4 moment
He would cultivate humanity. as we
! cultivate corn. by cutting out the
| small. weak stalks and the suckers
! 50 that the more vigorous standards
! can have more air, sunlight and
| freedom. and better opportunity to de-
| yelup their more promising possibili-
ties He says that for the rcjuvena
ton Of the race 1--WE need to multiply
those individuals whose dominant
craving is the altruistic sense and to
eliminate these whose lives are ruled by
rascr scIGshncss." This would Ger
tainly produce q frightful cutdoWn il
the social fabric at the outset, because
the altrustic sense is not now the
d0min craving Of the great majori-
ty Of mankind, no matter how refined
and cultivated its environment. But
perhaps ii Il not fair To judge his
theory on the basis of such a broad
generalization. He evidently does not
mean all that it would seem to imply.
ana as he is elsewhere more specific.
he is entitled to the benefit Of a more
complete elaboration Of his subject.
feature II the plan is the gentle re
moval fl pm ttis life Of such idiotic
imbecile and otherwise grossly dsfec-
tive persons as are n1W dependent for
maintenance upon the State. and cf
such criminals as commit the most
heinous crimes. or show by the fire.
quent repetition Of crimes less grav",
by their bodily and mental characters,
h,- -f,...,. they
h0peIessly incorrigible" Lest even
this may not convey clearly enough
his meaning to the public. he mentions
the following classes whom he would
advise the State to consgn to the
'lethaI chamber" an institution where
dying is made rather pleasurLble than
otherwise: Idiots. imbecilts. cpiltp-
tics, habtual drunkards and insane
criminals; the larger number Of muir
dcrers nocturnal houSe-breakcrs, sucn
criminals. whatever their offence as
might through their constitutional or-
SaniZItipn appear very dangerous,
and. finally. criminals who might bn
adjudged incorrigihle." He is careful
to state that ne would only have this
done after careful examination. ana
by due process of law. This is where
our civilization comes in. We are Il
people who profess ourselves bound by
law. Just make the laws right and We
can do anything. And tn" "lcthul
chamber" is a refinement Of which our
barbar;c friends. before referred to. I
had no conception. Their unfortun-
ates had to die alone ana unaided. 1
Neither law nor science gave them
any assistance.
What a grand. sweeping economic I
policy that would be. our prisons, /
houses of correction, pauper institu- |
tions. insane retreats. schools for i'm |
beetles. ana various other places Of
restraint, and as We think. today. Of
upift. could be torn down ana the .
money they cost ana the room they
tax" up could be utilized by thr /
strength ana talent that remained /
after the WinnoWing Of society had !
Il ~ its perfect work. But how about ,
the dominant craving for the altruis;i'
sense? 1t is the presence among u~ I
of many of the classes enumerated /,
that Keeps alive the altruistic sense. 1
The Doctors plan would make a sod Of
strength ana it would hardly ldd to
the moral on spiritual upbuilding Of
humanity. But the spiritual side Of
the question evidently does not an
peal to him. If the material and the !
mental is all right, he is not con 4
cerned about the rest. Were he taken /.
at his word he might be among the \
first to become an inmate Of tha .
'lethal chamber" He certainly would \
if examined On the evidences of his /,
book by jury or his peers.