The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-12-27
SURGEON URGES KNIFE TO
MEND MORALS OF RACE
tcoatinu.d from Page Oas,

\ 70 breed criminals OF that particular
type says DR.. Carstens. 1T has been
proven that the weakness which leads
to these crimes Is hereditary. Re
form crusades are useless unless they
strike at the root. We must prevent
The dangerous classes from breeding
III we are earnest In our endeavors TO
prevent crime.
Books have been written about the
descendants OF the feeble-minded. !
have in mind book recently pub
lshed which traces two strains In the
same famiyl The children of one
union. that of a norm = nan with a
feebleminded woman, we're almost
without exception either criminal or
degenerate. The children OF the sec
ond union, that OF the same man with
normal woman, became people or
honor In the community, There are
now several hundred descendants of
these two unions. Those OF the first
are filing the prisons, asylums and
almshouses OF the country: those OF
!, the second are occupying places OF
Nouor and esteem.
ut Is time that the state of Michi-
gan took action TO build up its citi-
zenship by the elimination of the
unfit.
For long time It was the custom
of Europe to empty her prisons and
asylums into the United States. The
\ European countries were glad enough
no get rid OF their criminals and de-
generates by letting them go to
America We have accepted them:
and the consequence Is that two-thirds
OF the inmates of our institutions are
of foreign birth, whereas only one
third of our citizenship-at-large is for
y eign. We have had to spend millions
No care for Europe's untft, and they
have been terrible menace to Amer.
lea because they have been breeding
race of criminals and degenerates.
81 am also In favor of bill to pre-
vent the marriage OF persons who
cannot present certificate OF physi-
cal fitness.
Rep. Glasner, who introduced such
Ma BIZ In the session two years ago,
will reintroduce II In the coming SEES
sion.
Rep. Palmer says:
cit has always seemed unreason-
able to me that we should Improve
horses, cattle and other animals Inn
proying the standard by careful breed
ing. while we neglect the human stock
completely. II seems to me that
\ something should be done to keep the
mentally diseased and criminal ele-
ments OF our population from bringing
into the world offspring whose hered-
ity tends to make them dangerous TO
society"
Charles BENEDICT Davenport. of the
station OF experimental evolution OF
the Carnegie institution, Washington,
70 e.. wrote recently;
"studies OF the Inheritance of men
,nl defect inevitably raise the question
how TO eliminate the mentally defec-
tive. This is a matter OF great I'm.
nortance, because, on the one hand,
II is now coming to be recognized
that mental defect Is at the bottom OF
\most OF our social problems Extreme
fIcoholism Is usually consequence
of n mental makeup In which self
control OF the appetite for liquor Is
lacking Pauperism Is consequence
az mental defects that make the pau.
nsr incapable OF holding his own In
the worlds competitions. Sex immor.
ajitv in either sex IL. commonly due
. "a certain inability to appreciate
consequences, TO visualize the newt
ahleness OF cause and effect. combined