Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-04
BIRTHS
The Human Race is Said to be, De-
generating.
MORE EDUCATION is BADLY NEEDED
Western Association of Surgeons Dls-
cnss Marriage AT Their Meeting
Last Nighttime Views on
Important Question.

cusn marriage al 'tne1r Meeting
!! Last Ni.ht-Tyo Views on
Important Question. M
Des Moines, Jan. 2.--It is the opinion
of the majority of the members of the
Western genealogical and Surgical as
ISOLATION that marriages should be reg
ulated by law and that the doctors
certificate should always accompany
the marriage license. As it is, the doc
tors declare that the human race is
rapidly degenerating, and something
must be done to stop it. This was
brought out in the annual address of
President II. G. Crowell and the dis
cussion which followed, at the even
ing session of the association.
| President Crowell departed from the
customary lines followed by the presi-
dents in their annual addresses and
chose for his topic one removed from
the technical side of their profession.
He announced his subject rs .Some
Things" What he said pertained who'll
ly to the physical improvement of the
human race. He said in part:
mo rules, no laws, no customs, no
thought govern in the selection OF
mates in the human family. The only
governing factors are passion, fancy
and fortune, either of which outweigh
any physical or mental consideration.
The phthisical are joined to the phthis-
ical, the neurotic to the neurotic, the
vicious to the vicious, and so on
through the category of Unbeatable
features until we have become nation
of cripples, dyspeptics and neurotics,
inferior in stature and durability, If
not in intellectually.
what shall we do to guard against
unwelcome hildren? They are born
into the world curse to their parents
and to themselves. There is no love
nothing but hatred. There is no care
for them-nothing but neglect. There
| is no education for them nothing but
ignorance. There is no morality fol-
them-nothing but vice. There is no
happiness for them-not hing but mis-
cry. 1t is these who fill the jails and
almshouses and asylums. 1t is these
who constitute the vicious and Zero
cious.
Against this form of vice reformers
are little less than helpless. Passion
can not be made to give way to intel
lectuality where. the latter does nos
exist. Yet there is no man but has
some intelligence, and he should use 1t
1t is serious question how best we can
prevent the vicious from having chill.
dren. Religion is helpless. We alone
can appeal to their intelligence, and it
is therefore an appeal that must for
the most part be unheard. Yet the
only hope for the future of the
l 1rry,, fo ,,,s1 %1,-k =
vice must stop populating the world.
There is but one way it can be
done; science must make woman the
mistress of herself and permit her to
decide for herself whether OF not she
shall become mother. Babes then will
be welcomed into the world. They will
then be clasped in loving arms and will
be reared with all the care and devo-
how to bestow.
Education she Salvation.
Intelligence must supplant passion,
Education along physical lines is the
salvation. The duty of imparting this
education must for time at least de-
yolve on the physician and he can not
exercise his obligation in this regard
too faithfully or too carefully. I'm
proper marriages should be interdicted
by law and the doctors certificate and
marriage license should go hand in
hand. Before any official performs
the marriage ceremony, he should be
compelled to have submitted the report
of a physician certifying that after an
examination of the family histories OF
both parties with view to ascertain
ing hereditary weaknesses, and ply
steal examination of the persons Of
each party to the marriage, he knows
no physical reason why the two should
not become man and wife.
"It-may be said this is largely ideal
istic. So it is, but it is yet practical.
It is the absence Of sentiment which
renders 1t unpopular with the masses.
1t is sentiment which we must combat
If we ever hope to overcome this evil.
Some states have already moved some
what along the lines ] have suggested
and hope others will follow. The ma
tional governments could help largely
and undoubtedly should, by placing
suitable literature in the hands OF each
family. It is matter of national
of vital Importance and the national
government might indeed be said to be
the place where the whole movement
should originate. Marriage among the
vicious must be prevented at any cost,
if we are to hope to lessen the number
of prisoners, almshouses and asylums
and add to our peace and liberty and
the enjoyment Of strength and happi-
ness.
Better Glass Have Faults.
"This paper is not directed SO much
at the better classes, yet they are not
without their faults in this line, But
with them passion is much more near
ly subservient to reason. We must,
however, direct our efforts to eradicate
this evil to the lower class for the rea-
son that the great mass Of our popula-
ton comes from the poorer and more
lowly origin. 1t is this class which
controls out nations destiny as well as
our physical future. They supply the
voting population of our government
and it is their power to tear down all
existing institutions of law and order
and to inaugurate another reign OF ter
ror."
The discussion which followed the
1eadino nf This r,aper was y,arficipntod