Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-29
CAPT. KIDD IS CITED.
Would Be Reflective DeIin-
quent' If Living Now.
OPINION OF DR.. GODDARD
Feeble-mindedness Declared to Be
Relative Condition.
PART OF RACE ALWAYS BEHIND
Problem Is How to Get Rid of
Those Who Grade Lowest
Mentally.

| Declaring that, measured by present
day scientific standards, Frank and Jesse
James and Capt. Kidd of piraticaf fame
| would be considered defective delin-
quents, DR.. II. II. Goddard delivered an
| address Yesterday at Hygienic Hall in
connection with the International Con-
gross on Hygiene and Demography.
One thousand years from now said
| DR.. Goddard. lit is possible that man
! who fully measures up to the average
mentality of today will then be classed
as predetermined and confined for life in
! industrial colonies
| DR.. Goddard is director of the School
for the F'eebleMnded at Vineland. \. J.
Frank and Jesse James, he said. "ac-
| cording to the light of present-day
science. probably would be regarded as
| high types of the moron, or near-normal
| persons [ should say that they would
| belong to the particular variety of feeble
| minded to whom We apply the name OF
| defective delinHuents; that is, persons
who lack the quality of inhibition or self
| control which allows them to live under
the restraints of civilized society. Their
utter inability to earn a living except
| by laWless methods; their ratiiNe cum
ming: their inordinate love of praise, lead
ing them to commit the most audacious
crimes: all point to the conclusion that
| they belonged to this particular category
of the feeble-mnded, and the fact that
they possessed the coordination of hand
and eye which made them crack shots is
not necessarily evidence to the contrary.
Case of Capt. Kidd.
Going farther back into history it
| may be that capt. Kidd the pirate. today
| would be regarded as a defective delin-
quent' and the same may possibly be
said also of many Il famous buccaneer
of the Spanish main, as well as of the
Morse pirates who ravaged the whole
coast of Europe in the period following
the breakup of the Roman empire.
After all. however. feeble mindedness is
more less of relative condition In
its higher manifestations, at least. it
merely implies an inability To maintain
ones self in the world as ii is. That is
civilization outstrips the mental efficiency
of certain part of the human race.
Oftentmes the European peasant who
leads self-supporting career on the farm
and in the country is considered to be ii
man fully up to the standard mentally
may have to be graded as fceble-fninded
upon arriving in the great metropolitan
centers of population.
Now in some way it is necessary to
cut off that section of humanity which
grades lowest in brain power. How this
is to be done has not yet been definitely
and universally decided. We must al
ways keep in mind that our social organ
which we cannot interfere with, unless
We are prepared to face some most I'M
expected consequences.
Effects of Humanitarianism.
q cite the effects of humanitarianism.
\ century ago. under the English law,
there We're 81: capital crimes. Today
there is but one. and what is the result?
Personally. l am convinced that in thus
doing away with one method of eliminat-
ing undesirable citizens, have pro-
NOTED the increase of the defective ele
ment in the population of the United
Kingdom. which, as / guess, has grown
100 per cent in the last 100 years.
In America there arose, some TWEEN
against the liquor traffic. which re-
suited in q great curtailment of the
business. AS d result of this humani
tartan movement vast army OF de-
fectives are alive today who, in an
earlier age, would have simply drunk
themselves to death.
Il do not decry these humanitarian
movements. but / do say that in re-
moving such agencies as have hither-
to been potent in removing detectives
we must supply other agencies to keep
the descendants of this undesirable
element from oVcrrunnlnS the coun
try In the solution of this problem we
are still III Il state of transition
Discusses Social Diseases.
Taking as her topic Social Diseases,
Dr.. Elnora c. Folkmar of this city de-
clared that these diseases should be
placed on the reportable list. since they
were contagious and infectious. Cali
fornia was the first state to take this
step, she said, and New York city has
an admirable law dealing with this
phase of the campaign against these
diseases.
Although the congress has officially
closed, the exhibit will continue open
TO the public today and during the COM
ing week Lectures also will he re-
sumed tomorrow in the exhibit hall.