The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-28
Many children are
diseased or deficient,
and do wrong for
this reason - | hey
will receive medical
treatment to cure the
cause instead of be-
ing punished.


are remanded to refor;natores. in all
cases criminals by choice or instinct
Or are they the victims Of physical
Inalformations or deformities which
have the effect of stimulating them to
CO acts that are wrong or violent,
deadening their moral sense?''
Surgeons and aliensts of the highest
rank declare that in many cases where
children develop propensities for evil
where they are uncomfortable by par
ents or teachers where they have alb
normally cruel instincts. or when they
are deficient mentally or morally, there
is . cause which is beyond the reach
NJ the child To prevent, or the reform
atory to eradicate.
The surgeons and alienists declare
that sin and stupidity as we'll are the
results Of disease. defective brains or
heredity. causing a deterioration in the
quality of the brain.
That there is cure for many such
cases has been demonstrated with great
success in the east, and that children
who. before treatment. were either
stupid or had developed the instincts
OF hend, have been transformed as
by miracle, has been fully proved.
Commission Is Appointed.
Acting upon the knowledge gained by
reason of extensive experiments that
have been carried to successful con
illusions in the east. the juvenile court
or Salt Lake has appointed q commits
sion OF alienists and experts of the
highest rank in local medical circles.
TO study many of the cases that come
10 the attention of that court and de-
ternine whether il is by reason of nat
uTal inclination. or voluntarily wick
edness. or whether il t. by reason OF
some cause beyond their control, that
young boys and girls who are wards
OF that court. do not do as the law
and the DeCalogue say they should do.
The appointment of this commission
was made by the Juvenile court. only
after a most careful study of the re-
suits obtained by similar commissions
acting with similar courts in the east
and in Other countries. Judge Willis
Brown of the Juvenile court had given
the matter long and careful considera-
ton. and had been in correspondence
with officers of similar courts. before
suggesting the appointment of such a
board in conjunction with the local
court. Of which he is the head.
Subjects for Special Treatment.
The fate of children who are afflict ed
by reason OF no wrong act of their
own, with desires to be cruel, to steal.
to be dishonest, or TO violate any of
the written or unwritten laws. and VINO
are really subjects for medical OF sur
IefOrmatOry. but who are committed
TO industrial schools or other institu-
tions of a similar character, is indeed
pitiable.
If they have comriitted actual crime
while laboring under stress of emo
tons which they cannot control. nor
account for, and if they are sent TO a
reformatory their innate criminal ten
denc'es ace not checked. but are per-
mitted to grow by reason of their assoc
citation with others whose criminal in
stincts and tendencies are more fully
developed Thus they are launched into
the world predestined To a life of
crime and evil doing, hatsrs of the law
and those who make and enforce the
laws. and 20 go through life With
every mans hand against them, and
their hands against every man.
In cases where children have been
convicted Of criminal acts. when they
have shown vicious or depraved ten
denotes, their fate S. but little better
In many cases they are remanded 10
homes where there are no scientific
resources for dealing with their pecu-
liar mental and physical conditions
and the tendencies may be st;lled for
time. but not removed. Worse, still
they may bs returned TO their own
homes where the environment is not
Of the kind to stimulate the growth
and foster the development of higher
moral ideals.
Defects IndeiibIy Stamped
Those who are not criminal. but who
are mentally deficient will thus grow
to manhood or womanhood with their.
defects indeibly stamped upon their
nature and disposition as we'll as upon
their bodies. Eventually they become
a burden to society. which is forced to
house and care for them at the ex-
pense of the people at large. At the
same time they are a burden TO them
selves and an actual menace TO the
safety and comfort OF the people at
large.
II there were no hope for a cure Cor
such condition, many authorities de-
clare that some legal plans should be
provided to take the life of those so
hopeIessiy afflicted, rather than to bur
den society with their care and to
stretch their misery out over the long
period of years, which they would nat
urally live.
Science Solves the Problem.
But science has found solution for
these difficult problems, and as a re-
suit these lives that are so married
may be made over. recreated as it
were. TO lives of usefulness, a credit
TO themselves and TO the state.
Today the highest authorities assert
cases of mental or moral deficiency is
by the aid of surgery. Criminal ten
denotes are removed. and mental clouds
that have obscured the intellectual
light OF the victim. are dissipated by
means of d surgical operation.
Many methods are taken 70 effect
cures. These methods include opera
tons on the defective areas of the
brain. removal of adenoids and other
abnormal growths from the throat and
nose; operations for the correction of
defective vision, or for malformatfons
or other defects of the eyes; correc-
tions of misshaped limbs, backbones
and other general medical treatment
These scientific discoveries give hope
to families of the afflicted, that they
may be cured OF their misfortune, and
thus be given an equal chance I'm the
battle of life 10 win the laurels for
which they must strive.
The members OF the commission dp-