The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-20

rs lr WRONG for cousins to inary3 This ques-
tion Is asked by one Of the readers of the
scientific Salad 0nd has been asked and dis.
cusscd for hundreds nay thousands, OF yeats.
by philosophers scientists. natiraists, religious
teachers and Lawmakers in all its various bear.
ings IRON moral, ethical, hygicnc and politco-
economical standpoint upon ...c well.bcng and
progress Of the human race ! must, therefore,
content myself at this time and In this limited
space. with succnct statement Of the most
prominent facts in connection with the question
as they arc known to exist and leave to the
reader to tbcofizc about them at his leisure.
In all the prominent and important, and in
many OF the minor pagan systems Of religion
the ethical laws strictly forbid the marriage
Of blood relations (consanguns) and in the
Bible, as well as in the Koran and the other
we'll known written and traditional codes of
religious laws, many references will be found
pointing to the evil effects OF cons,nguinity
upon the offspring, and especially in the second
and third generation. 1t is an indisputablc
fact that all the useful, powerful and enduring
products OF nature are the result OF the union
OF oppositcs or of elements which are not like
each other. Thus chemistry, the union Of
acids base produces salts and minerals and in
physics the clcctric current is produced by the
action OF one element, acting antagonisticalv
,ron another in their union. The number Of
illustrations which may be cited is legion.
In organic nature IL has been proved beyond
doubt by careful and long continued observation
and by carefully conducted experiments upon
animals and plants that the union OF members
OF the same family has L dclctcrious effect upon
the ofsprinss AS striking examples may be
cited The facts that fruit trees OF the same
family (for instance Bartlett pears, when planted
III an orchard by themselves. without the adnN.
lure OF fruit trees OF the same species but OF
different families. bear fruit which is
small and inferior in quality, as we'll us in mum.
hcrs. and is apt to fall from the stem before it
is fully ripened. and also that in towering and
seed bearing plants Gas for instance in the cas-.
tor oil planD through modification by pollen from
members of the same family seeds will result
which when planted produce plants of slow and
st'nted growth bearing seeds which ripen very
late and are incapable Of terminating and produc.
ing new plants, thus causing the extinction OF
the family unless they have been fructifcd by
alien (non.family rcatetD pollen. Among tile
animals ana especially among the higher classes
to which man belongs the physiological tact
has long been established that tile offspring in.
hcrits certain amount of the individual family
(hlood) and race pecuarities, both physical and
spiritual, from each parent, which inheritance
finds expression in various ways. some times the
one transmitted through the male parent and
sometimes the one belonging to the female pro.
gcnitor prcdomnatng but making up n sum
total OF pcculiarities. individually similar to
that of both parents but essentially different in
itself ii the parents aliens 10 each other, that
is. ii they not blood relations; and this
difference is the result, IN the main. of the
union and action upon each other Of these in.
herited strains.
On the other hand, if the parents are blood
relations tfrst cousins. Tor instance) the offspring
Will Inherit a double amount OF family or blood
and race peculiarites which will naturally over