The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-30
MARRY ONLY THE HEALTHY.

MARRY ONLY THE HEALTHY.
There has been a good deal of dis
| cussion, principally under the head Of
eucenics. Of the forbidding Of marriage
| to the physically deformed, to criminals,
TO insane persons, and to those having
incurable diseases, hereditary or tend.
ency toward hereditary talnts. 1t is ar
gued, and with much probability, that
| the restriction of marriage in this way
would benefit the human race immeasur.
ably, would eradicate many OF the afflic-
| tions of humanity, would decrease in.
sanity, would root out idiocy, and would
| tend TO the perpetuatIon of the race only
through those of healthy bodies and
sound minds, the selected best of the
population, barring the unfit. But there
| is always, in considering this subject,
the great question of dealing with
those to whom marriage under such re-
strictions might be forbidden. The his
tory Of mankind shows that the for
| bidding Of marriage to such persons
! would be liable to lead 10 the grossest
immoralities and unlawful relations. SO
far AS We have seen, there is no sufi-
cient means suggested to guard against
this looseness, in any of the discussions
for the elevation of humanity in this
respect If it were simply a question
of forbidding, with readySand absolute
compliance with the order, in spirit and
in fact, the matter would be compar-
atively easy; but the passions Of hu.
manity have to be reckoued with, and
the wilfulness of individuals in the
qualification of those passions. This is
the weak portion of the argument for
eugenics, The strong side of that argu-
ment is that, by proper selection and
mating, the human race could be lifted
out from many Of the evils which AZ.
plane physically, mentally, and morally
1T has been proposed as tentative
procedure to give to those who are Sc
| lected to eXempify the doctrine of
eugenics, certificates which would be
not only marriage certificates, but Ger
| tiGcates of fitness TO marry, being clear
| bills Of health and also through corrob-
| orations by way Of family pedigrees
of those about to marry, showing lack
| of family taint and a clearance on
every account. 1t has been argued that
certificates Of this kind would be, in
| effect, titles of racial nobility, that
| they would be much sought after, and
| that gradually the world would come
marriage of those who could not obtain
| them.
In furtherance of this idea that the
matrimonial clearing house, as one
might call it, would give those who are
| found fit 10 marry patent OF pcrfec-
ton. there have been various ideas
sprung to put the matter into practical
effect For instance, Dean Walter r..
| Sumner of the Cathedral of Saints
| Peter and Paul in Chicago, delivered a
sermon on March oath upon 'the sacra-
| ment of marriage - announcing in the
course of his address the following pro-
gramme:
| After consultation with the Right Rev.
c. p Anderson Bishop Of Chicago. and
with his approval Dean Sumner and his
CO. workers of the Cathedral OF Saints
Peter and Paul have agreed upon an ad-
| istra ton OF marriage in the cathedral.
| Beginning with Easter. no persons VIII
| be married at the cathedral unless they
present certificate OF health from q
| reputable physician TO the effect that
| they are normal. physically and mentalli.
and have neither an incurable or com
| municable disease.
This step is taken only after months
! Of study OF the situation and dclibera-
! tion as TO It's advisability. II is believed
! that this stand will meet with the inn
| mediate sympathy OF the clergy in The
! church at large, all OF whom have long
| felt tine undesira bilitv Of being party 10
the marriage. of persons who. because OF
| their physical condition, should never b.
allowed TO enter into the marriage state.
IL seems to us that efforts Of this
kind should strongly be approved by
the public, and every move toward Civ
ing effect To propa agauda which would
make for the perfection of the race
onght 10 he commended by the com
munitv and appreciated by all students
OF biology and human economics. 1t
would seem that the persons who seek
10 marry. would be glad TO obtain such
a registration as this, and to have a
certificate which would cover not mere
" the permission to marry. but tbat
would combine the certificate Of fitness
of both the bride and the groom for
the marriage relation. lf that could
be once made popular and the fashion,
as il seems that it ought TO he possible
TO make it. the enormous benefits that
would result in a few generations must
be evident beforehand to all students
Cf the progress Of humanity.