The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-08-22

Oh the marriages lnS-C "S4S 49, ~
dren born. Now, after one, two or three
mutes have been born in succession TO
parents, it would seem sin, II not
crime for them to have more. The law
should prohibit it. But if this cannot be
done after marriage. the remedy for
the future is to prohibit the intermar-
riage of cousins-yes, and second
cousins. To be born deaf or blind Is
sin against the child. and to have 1t
supported by the state is drain upon
the treasury that might be avoided.
But being deaf or blind Is not all the
evil that follows these incestuous mar
riaees. II the children are not dear or
Hind they are generally under some
physical disability. They ace consump-
tives or epileptics or idiotic, and pass
through life and leave no sign. Fortu-
nately most of such marriages result IN
no progeny. .,
"Oh. we'll" some say, the LeNt!cal
law did not prohibit It. No, 1t did not,
and I reckon that Cain married his SIS
ter. We know that Abraham married
his half sister, and no doubt that IS
why no children were born to them
except one by grace in their old age.
Rut il Is said that the Roman laws
and the laws OF England permit such
marriages. Yes, the Roman law did
until Pope Alexander II stopped It and
prohibited first, second and third cous-
ins from intermarrying. The laws or
England permitted such marriages be-
cause the kings and the nobility
wanted to keep the crown and the u
ties and their estates in their families.
And so our American people, who have
patterned after English law and pre-
cedent for more than hundred years,
have been reluctant to make any
change in this regard.
But the question is now coming 10
the front. and the time is coming Tor
change. It seems now to be an estab-
lished and universal rule that these
marriages entail upon the offspring
evil consequences, bodily or mentally,
Or both. The evil effect of what is call
I'd breeding in" among animals leads
to the conclusion that it is an universal
law. Good stock, blooded stock, is not
permitted in that way. Heard con-
ceited man declare that he was de-
scended from the CAROLS, Of Carroll
ton, in old Maryland. Suppose he did.
That was six generations back, and
would give him siIty-four ancestral
fathers and mothers, and hence ne
had only one siXty-fourth part OF old
Charles Carrolrs blood in his veins.
know a lady who boasts that her faith
or could trace his lineage back to
Cromwell. That was eighteen genera
tions back, and would give him 5l2,-
900 ancestors-not much Of ChomWeiis
blood in her. 1t is astonishing how rap
idly the ancestral tree widens. TWO
generations back gives man only fsur
great and grandnoth-
mothers, but twenty generations gives
him over a million. Just think OF 1t.
young man, and quit Dragging about
YOUR ancestors. for threre are over
million different strains OF blood IN
your veins, and no doubt some OF 1t IS
bad-very bad. My wiie's grandfather
was a Holt and his grandfather was
Randolph and his grandfather was
Peyton and his was Lord Rolfe, who
married Pocahontas. That was ten
generations back, and gives my wife
1924 ancestors, and therefore, she has
1-1;O24th part Of Poky's blood in her
veins. Nightly slim strnin, 1t seems to
me not much Injun about her. One
day | ventured to ask about the other
1,C23 parts that did not come from
Poky ard she never said anything, but
looked at me in a peculiar tone OF voice
that reminded me it was none OF my
business. But honor noble ancestry.
used to think that maybe | descended
from Captain John Smith, but on in
restigation found that he never was
married and had no children 70 speak
of.-Bill Arp in Atlanta Constitution,