The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-11-24
CHILD CULTURE
SERIES NO. |.
Eugenics the Science of Be-
ing Well Born.

By A. P. Hollis, Department of
Pedagogy, Valley City, State Normal
School.
Back of all questions of Education
al Method, Child Study, Physical
Education, Sanitation and the like,
lies the fundamental one of the child's
inheritance. Education must ever
ask-What have I to begin with in my
task OF moulding fit human beings?
Not the Rooseveltian cry for the
production of human beings, but the
cry OF Evolution for the production of
fit human beings, is the tremendously
important voice that this generation
must inevitably listen to.
Through the Agricultural Colleges,
the farmers of many states have at
last been aroused to the necessity of
selecting good seed if a good crop be
assured.
1t is high time all patriotic citizens,
jealous for the supremacy of civiliza-
ton, should be aroused also to the
necessity of selecting fit parents for
future citizens.
The careless laissez-fair customs of
the past with reference to marriage,
are a disgrace to our modern intelli-
gence and a most terrible menace to
the progress of society.
A recent magazine article states
that Indiana has passed the Model
Marriage Law of the country. It
provides for a medical examination of
both parties to the contract before the
relation takes place which might other
wise be the means of burdening hum
an society with infants already doom
ed to helpless disease or degeneracy.
Edward Box, editor of the Ladies
Home Journal, speaks in no uncer-
tain terms against the primitive prac-
tices allowed to survive in our mar
riage laws. He says, "We owe to
plume ourselves about living in an
age of progress. And, in material
matters, we are. But do we ever think
of this inconsistency? We require a
long of schooling for the teach
er, the physician, the veterinarian:
/ we offer advanced courses in the
J breeding and management of cattle,
| hogs and chickens; but where is there
. a course Of training or any standard
I of requirement for those who are to
; engage in the complex and difficult
! task Of rearing children in the home?
! Any young human pair-no matter
/ how physically unfit, how criminal in
I their habits or tendencies, how ignor-
/ ant of things in general and of sex
: matters in particular-may become
married, and blunder away in bring
5 ing up a family.
!: "We have scientifically worked out
! cards for scoring COWS and pigs and
chickens, but how about scoring
! young people who are candidates for
! marriage? What are the correct
! standards of physical health? OF
ability to work? Of compatibilities of
: mental nature? OF knowledge as to
I the care and instruction of infants
! What are the marks whereby a young
woman whose hand is sought in mar
riage may know a good man when she
sees him? And those whereby a young
! man may know a good woman? A
! farmer knows much more about pre-.
! pairing his hogs for the livestock
market than he does about preparing
: his daughter for the matrimonial mar.
7 ket!
"These questions tremendously vita
to the human race, are left to chanct
and accident and gossip, because We
have chosen to believe that love il
blind and cannot be Influenced by in
struction or reason. Young men fal
in love witha big basket-shaped ha
or a mincing gait; and young women
with lashy neckties and glistenin,
jewelry, partly because they do no
know from intelligent instruction wha
to look for as evidences of real wort
in the opposite sex. Is it not q tim
for a realization that what we need il
this progressive age is some instruc
ton that will give our young people
clearer idea of the emotions, and wha
the mating Of the sexes really means?
After the question of a favorab]
heredity, follow the questions of edit
cation and vocation. These vital ma
tiers of the home and school trainin
OF u boys and girls, this departmer
proposes to discuss in plain languag
from time to time in the state pres
and will welcome any questions rela
ing to such topics, from all parent
and lovers of childhood.