Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-09-23

feeble-mindedness of the race is an in
herited quality. While statistics con-
clusively prove that much of it comes
from environment. they also show that
the descendants OF the feeble minded
are largely feeble minded themselves.
Records Of individuals who have mar
ried and where both are feeble minded.
disclose the fact that their children
and their children's children, even
down to the third and fourth genera
ton. have shown more weak minded
and criminal progeny than normal
minded.
The historic case of the Jukes fam
ily where a very large percentage of
the offspring were either feeble minded
or criminals is pointed to by every
student of the problem. Another case
is that of a young soldier of the revo-
lutionary war, who. after he was must
cred out of the army, married feeble
minded woman in New Jersey. AT the
time Conklin made his Investigations
he found that from the feeble minded
daughter of that marriage there were
$50 descendants. Later the soldier
married a Pennsylvania Quakeress of
normal mind. From that marriage
there resulted eight normal children,
and yet from these eight children there
were descended only 365 persons. OF
the descendants of the first marriage
only 46 were normal-46 out of $50!
while out Of the 365 descendants Of the
second marriage 362 were normal of
:, 9lO who
were serious detriment to the COM
munity, while of the second there were
but three.
Indiana Leading Way.
Indiana is leading the way toward
wiping out that feeble -mindedness and
criminality that comes from heredity.
a law has been passed which has for
it's purpose the prevention Of off
spring from criminally inclined people.
Another law provides that no marriage
license shall be issued where either
of the contracting parties Is an inbe- /,
ellie. epileptic of unsound mind or un-
der guardianship as such, or to any
man who Is or within five years has
been an inmate of any almshouse or
home for INDECENT persons, unless he
can make a showing that he will be
able to support family. Nor Will a
license be issued for a marriage where
either party is afflicted with trans
mjssible disease Persons denied a
license are called before the circuit
judge and given an opportunity to
show why the license should be issued.
Those who leave the state for the pur-
pose Of evading the law and are mar
ried elsewhere. find their marriages
null and void If they return to In
diana. However If they can show that
their marriage elsewhere was in good
faith and not with the intention OF
evading the law. their marriage holds
good, even IL afterward they do re-
turn.
1t has been proposed in some quar-
tiers that the best way to get rid OF
feeble -mindedness would be to colonize
the detectives, segregating the sexes.
and keeping them so during their en-
tire lives. II Is pointed out that this
would, in single generation, put an
end to inherited mental disease. The
objection to this idea has been raised
that it would cost a great deal, but
that inasmuch as 1t would largely wipe
out the almshouse and cut down the
prison population. the financial saw
Ing would counter balance the ex-
pense. Furthermore, 1t Is urged,
whereas poorhouses and prisons are a
heavy burden on the taxpayer. these
under intelligent supervision
could be made largely self supporting.
Those who urge sentimental reasons
against this course are met With the
ALHA ,l.tA