The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-09-26
n WOULD STOP
MANY WEDDINGS
A BIN to Require Physical Examina-
tions--Wn Improve Standard Of
the Coming Generation.

the Coming Generation.
LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. ga halt is
to be called in the marriage procession
in Nebraska. II the Nebraska Homeo.|
pathie Association has its way. and all
applicants Tor marriage licenses, eth
err man or woman, must undergo al
thorough physical examination before
they will be permitted to wed. A bill
to this effect will be introduced into
the next State Legislature, and the
homeopaths of the State will use ev-
cry effort to have 1t passed.
The homeopaths believe that the
spread of disease is due. more than
to any other cause. to the fact that
either the father or mother of the
children is afflicted with some disease
which is transmitted to the OFFSPRING,
or that one of the parents Is not fully
developed, and thus the human race is
rendered less hardy and less able to
withstand the inroads OF diseases.
II the diseased MAJ OF woman can
be kept from marrying and bringing
children into the world, the race would
soon revive and a weak constitution
would be a rarity, while tuberculosis
and loathsome diseases would entirely
disappear. The Nebraska homeopathic
are working hand In glove with mem.
'bers of the same school in Colorado.
and q similar movement is under way
in that State. DR.. A. G. Stewart, of
Denver, is one o fthe prime movers In
the attempt to have the bills passed.
He says:
IF we can impress upon the public
the great benefits which will accrue to
them II this bill passes, | believe there
will be such a demand for Its passage
that no representative will dare vote
against 1t.
"The passage of such a law would
necessitate an independent board to
make the examination Of applicants
for marriage licenses. The examining
board must be entirely nonsectarian
and nonpolitical, for its duties would
be Of such a nature that great harm
could be done IL politics or petty jeal-
ousies should be permitted to creep in.
The board must be carefully selected
in order to protect and guard against
graft and abuses OF Its power.
my idea of the new law would be
to deny licenses in all cases until the
applicants have been submitted to q
physical examination and have been
pronounced as fit to raise a family. This
examination must be conducted In the
most ethical way; all publicity must
be avoided. If an applicant is found
suffering with tuberculosis, which,
while not incurable, is hard to cure,
and is transmitted from parents to
their children: or from one disease in
particular. the worst of the many due
to RIGHTEOUSNESS and which Is respon.
sible, either directly or indirectly, for
four-ffths of the worlds ills today:
or from cancer, let a license be denied
them, for they should not be allowed
to, perpetuate the disease through mar.
rage.
"The rejection Of the applicant must
of course. be kept perfectly and strict
ly private, but 1t must be recorded
properly for reference.
"Then there is another thing which
| consider to be OF vastly more impor.
lance than the mere refusal OF a mar.
riage license. II an applicant is found
by the examining board to be subject
to any other disease, such as heart
trouble, for instance, and is therefore
likely to drop off at any time, he
could be appraised of the fact by the
board and could be placed on his guard
He could be warned that he must moi
run for a street car or overtax himself
must not attend banquets nor cham
payne suppers and that he must les
sen the strenuosity Of his life, or hi,
days are numbered.
'Tf a woman a found to be unfit fol
the matrimonial state through illness
she could be told that fact and coult
be advised to postpone the marriage
for a time until her health improved