Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-10-02
For Conscience a L

We propose to state a few plain
facts familiar to every skillful breed
er of live stock. Facts, however,
woefully neglected in their applica-
ton to the highest type of animal de-
yelopment-men and women.
1t has become custom to allude .
boys and girls as the best crop of our
country. Yet we have been shame
fully slow in giving them the practi-
cal advantage of the principles we in
sist on using for the improvement and
Perpetuation of, the farm crops and
animals we produce.
For generations we have had breed
ers' associations organized and at
work solely for the improvement of
breeds of cattle and hogs. For years
hundreds of men have been systemat-
ically working for the improvement
OF strains Of corn, cotton, grass and
potatoes. Yet the few men devoting
themselves to the development of a
better race of human beings are little
Understood and are commonly classef
as fanatics. We recognize the theory
OF heredity. We confidently assert
that "blood will tell" Then in prac-
tice we apply the principle to chick
ems and hogs and Nindinerently let
chance control it's application to men
and women.
We systematically and scientifcal-
~ exclude hereditary disease from
cur breeding pens. We vigorously
exclude infected cotton, corn,oat and
potato seed from our paintings. Then
we neglect the simplest fundamental
precautions against contaminated
blood from which is to spring the
next generation of human beings.
We once knew of the marriage of a
young man to a young woman whom
he first met as an inmate of an insane
asylum while he vas visiting his
own sister, who was also an in
mate. The only justification urged
was that these two people loved each
other. There could be but one nor
may result-the development of a
family of insane persons. Disease and
crime are daily being perpetuated by
similar wanton violation of the first
principles of heredity-the simplest
elementary precaution against racial
degeneration is. persistently neg
lected,
What are we going to do about IL
The remedy for these u~ndispLted evils
lies in simply exercising the same
f~recautions used in controlling he
parentage of live stock n relation to
he percentage of human beings. we
do not go so far as - urge control
of selection of parents for the scien-
tific improvement of the race. We
mean merely the prevention of par
entage which must inevitably result
in disease or menSSl and moral deteri-
ioration of future generations. We
mean that mere accident shall not
longer be permitted to determine the
parentage-and consequently the in
herited characteristics-of the human
race. We protest against longer sub
iecting humanity to methods whics
have determined the nature of scrub
cattle and razorback hogs running
wild or open ranges.
We mean that the welfare of future
generations of men and women-and
the world they are to control de
mand that mere falling in love is not
sufficient justification for the respon-
sibilities of parentage. We mean that
the time has come When marriage !
should not be allowed between per-
sons physically, mentally and moral
Is unfit to become fathers and moth
ers of normal children. We mean
that marriage certificates should be
issued only after these proper safe
guards have been legally provided.
Crowded prisons, insane asylums,
institutions for the blind and feeble
minded, hospitals for incurable and
loathsome diseases, cemeteries filled
because of premature deaths, divorce
mills grinding of innocent victims at
test the crime of continued neglect.
For conscience sake let us prepare
the way for pleading: Not Guilty.
Southern Ruralist.