The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-22
STUDY CHILDREN
TO REDUCE CRIME
Criminal Classes Recruited From
Mentally Unfit and Because
i. of Heredity.
REVISE LAWS OF MARRIAGE
DIR. Tucker Advocates Action by
Legislature in Remedial
Laws.

propec training of the young on a
scientific basis, with reform in the
marriage laws so as to reduce the
number of defective children, are the
remedies Of the future for reducing
crime in the judgment of Df. Beverly
II. Tucker. The subject. with references
- events of the recent past In klch-
nond, is discussed in a letter to KeE.
H. D. {. Nachlachlan OF the seventh
street Christian Church. Or. fucker
who is consulting physician to the
Juvenile Protective Association Oh
Virginia. writes as follows:
Rnt few pcoSle realize the problem
facing the Juvenile Protective Asso-
citation In Virginia. They know but
little of the good work being done by
this association and less "f inc ire
mcndous handicap under winch Inns
association works due chiefly to the
fact that the state has not thus lar
made proper provision for Tie eounS
and unfortunate criminal class. IL
the legislators could but reallz. 'He
great economy in providing for and
rraining these children thea wouio
not hesitate to appropriate money Tor
industrial schools and rcfornatortes'
as these children grow to form the
adult criminal class Of the state ana
become an enormous expense Their
adult court trials alone HuFlns' it'
us say. period OF ten years "oulu
probably build. equip and maintain sew
eral Juvenile institutions. These Grim
inals and deGener rates cost the state
IN many other ways. They overcrowH
the aims houses. the Jalis, the penn
Tertiary and insane asylums
Begin With Birth.
,,,, and space In
This letter to detail some of the al
rantaees Of Juvenile institutions. Here
I shall only say that proper training
and education usually changes USE
less feeble minded boy or girl lhto
self-sustaiuing citizen. and d chliu !
with immoral and criminal tendencies
into AN adult sufficiently selt-con-
troilcd to keep from becoming i
criminal burden to the State.
One thing about these children has
until recently. hardly been apprecs-
ated. and that is the majority of them
are physically and mentally defective
from birth and it is to this medical
ASPECT toward crime that l wish prlet-
" to call attention.
To limit the birth of detective
children it Is necessary to make con-
siderable change in our marriage laws.
Among these changes Shou-d De inc
prohibition OF marriage OF criminals,
moral degenerates. idiots, feeole-minoeo
and insane persons, chronic alcoholics.
people who are debilitated oy consul
futional disease such as Brights dis
ease and the incurable forms OF tucei
culosis, afflicted persons, as oea'
mutes and people infected Win ven
ereal disease y law of TINS kiho VIZ
be SO beneficial that the good results
in a few generations can hardy DC
appreciated. We would have hardier
race. a race whose mental capabilities
would be on far higher average tnan
at present and a race in whom pau
perism, crime, immortality and insanity
would be fast disappearing. Can we
ina CINE more humane and phlidn-
thropic procedure? More pointeoiS
even than this can We realze our
crime in neglecting to make reason.
able efforts TO obtain such wonderful
results?
Influences Of Hcredity.
The faint of bad hereditS Can
hardly be appreciated with us
stealthy b!ishtiny hand 1T sttSmatizes
,he human race for generation AFTER
generation. finding its way into every
class Of society, sappins the life nlooo
Of nations and putting burden upon
The fit which they are hardly aple u
carry The whole human race Is more
or less thus stigmatized and resen-
Grafton San osly take place through
nrohibition Of the marriage OF defec-
lives ard the proper control OF de-
fective classes when young II we
couu. back. for instance, our grand
mothers for twenty-five generations
we viii find that we have an hereoi-
tary influence from more than 2'o'''-
n,o females This simply gives an
idea Of how closely the human race .