The Montgomery tribune., 1910-03-11
ADVISES KILLING IDIOTS
Sensational Theory of determination
of Idiots and Incurable Insane
Advanced by Dr.. Hudson
Startles People.

has startled the Medical World,
and Jared the sensibilities of other
people general by publicly de-
claring in favor of exterminating
all the idiots, and incurably insane
by mercifully giving them a dose
of prussic acid. His theory has at
trected wide attention throughout
the Country and is attracting ed
it orial comment as well as mention
in the News Columns of the
Metropolitan Newspapers. The
st Louis Star editorally remarks -
The MERCY OF DEATH.
Mental assent will be given by
thousands of people to the sug-
gestion of DR.. d. o. Hudson, that
imbeciies, idiots and the hope
lessly insane be painlessly and
lovingly put to final sleep as act Of
mercy, but more thousands will
dissent This is not a new suject
by any means. Other doctors
have made the came suggestion
in other years, even other gen.
erations have seen it discusse d.
But every time the verdict has
been the same, that every effort
should be made to prolong life,
and none to destroy it.
There is no use arguing scienti-
fically against the inherited in
stincts of civilized humanity. The
one thing the men OF Doctor Hud-
sons profession havs for centuries
made the study of their lives is the
saving Of human lives and the
mitigation of suffering while pre-
serving life. None have studied
how to destroy life, much as they
thave learned on that, subiect dur
ing the progress of their studies.
There is little need to point out
the practical difficulties in the way
of any system of official life-taking
nor of the tremendous sentimental
opposition that would be encount-
cred in individual cases from
friends and relatives of the pro-
posed subject. Argument is need
less because the instinct of all
Christian nations is that of life
L
saving, and no life-taking system
can ever be adopted until that in
stinct is changed. Wherever the
Christian religion Is found as u
vitilizlng force the taking OF
human life under any condition is
instinctively condemned. In
heathen lands, even with highly
developed religions, this instinct is
not SO strong. Given u keathen
religion--or no religion-with
high intellectual development,
and the idea suggested by Doctor
Hudson might prevail, but not in
q Christian land, and especially
not in an Anglo-Saxon one.
4 The St. Louis Times editor says :
i ONE For MISSOURI
\ 1t was Josh Billings who dis
covered what he called "damp-
hool." The world at large, going
Mr.. Billings several better, fnds
one Of the creatures every little
while.
The latest s'damphool," accord
ing to our way of thinking, halls
from Montgomery City, Mo. He
is DR.. David O Hudson, and he
broke into print day or two ago
with the statement that "all hope
lessly insane or imbecilic persons
should be poisoned" He suggest,
ed details, and offered prussic acid
as the agency by which his pro.
, posed victims should be helped in.
to eternity.
II He is said to have stirred up "a
vertible horneG's nest" as a resul,
of his doctrine, and he has FRO
: missed further utterances, in which
he win give additional details o.
his plan.
We have an idea that hornets
! nests must be pretty accessible In
: Montgomery City, Il one can bs
r stirred up 40 easily. 1t strikes ui
that DR.. Hudson 10 merely s'dam
phool." The ''damphool," We
take II, IL person who has ar
} Itch to ger into print and be talked
about. We nave an idea that the
Chicago University is headquarter'