Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-12-02

1t is high time all patriotic
citizens, jealous for the supreme
cy of civilization, should be
aroused to the necessity of select
| ing fit parents for future citizens.
Thu careless jaissez-faire Gus.
toms of the past, with reference to
marriage, are a disgrace to our
modern intelligence 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 coun-
try. 1t provides Tor a medical
examination of both parties to
the contract before the relation
| takes place which might otherwise
be the means of burdening human
society with infants doomed to
helpless disease or degeneracy.
Edward Box, editor Of the La
dies Home journal, speaks in no
uncertain terms against the prim-
tive practices allowed to survive
in our marriage laws. He says:
I'VE love to plume ourselves
about living in an age Of progress.
And, in material matters. we are.
But do we ever think of this in
consistency. We require long
course of schooling for the teach.
er, the physician, the veterin.
arian; we offer advanced courses
in breeding and management of
cattle, hogs and chickens; but
where is there course of train
ing or any standard Of require.
ment for those who are to engage
in the complex and difficult task
of rearing children in the home?
Any young human pair--no mat.
ter how physically unfit, how
criminal in their habits or ten.
denotes, how ignorant of things
in general and of sex matters in
particular-may become married,
and blunder away in bringing up
a family.
We have scientifically worked
out cards for scoring cows,
pigs and chickens, but how about
scoring young people who are
candidates for marriage? What
are the correct standards of ply
steal health? Of compatibilities
of mental nature? Of knowledge
as to the care and INSTRUCTION
OF infants? What are the marks
wherebyayoung woman whose hand
is sought in marriage may know a
good man when she sees him?
And those whereby young man
may know a good woman? A
farmer knows much more about
preparing his hogs for the live.
stock market than he does about
preparing bis daughter for the
matrimonial market!
These questions, tremendously
vital to the human race, are left
to chance and accident and gossip,
because we have chosen to believe
that love is blind and cannot be
influenced by instruction or rea-
son. Young men fall in love
with big basket-shaped hat or
a mincing gait; and young women
with t1ashy neckties and glisten-
ing jewelry, partly because they
10 not know from intelligent in
struction what to look for as evi.
dences of real worth in the oppo-
site sex. Is it not time for
realization that what we need in
this progressive age is some in
struction that will give our young
people a clearer idea of the mo-
tions, and what the mating Of the
SEXES really means?''
After the question of favora-
bic heredity, follow the questions
OF education and vocation. These
vital matters of the home and
school training of our boys and
girls this department proposes to
discuss in plain language from
time to time in the state press
and will welcome any questions
relating to such topics, from all
parents and lovers Of childhood. =
A. +. Hollis. Valley City Normal.