The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-25
these fears appear TO be for the most

these fears appear TO be for the most
part groundlcss.
They fear it will be "humiliating and
insulting TO men who are pure and
There are great many good and
pure men" who would be willing 10
make a sacrifice in so good "a cause as
mat or trying to improve and elevate
the human race These are not the real
oppoScrs or Il euSenic marriage law,
for they have nothing 10 fear from it,
In any case, they would but suffer.
though innoccntly, the consequences Of
beIonGing 10 sex that has fairly
earned r the reputation of immortality.
The fear that the cost Of an cXami-
nation fee would bar the poor man
from religious marriage and SO deprive
him OF the blessing OF Cod" is. TO
say the least, puerlle such matters
usually arrange themselves But even
II the cost were considerable most of
sum sun Of S.. ~0"'" De @0's 10 raise Inc
What the eight ministers seem to
fear most is that the church's action
rage into the magistrates court
What the church is trying to do Is TO
make people realize the sanctity Of tho
marriage state" How are they trying
10 do This? They say they believe In
the suppression OF Comincrciali2cd vice
and unlawful districts, whence much OF
the evil comes. What do they do to
bring this about2 DO they utter any
public protest against the red Light
district. active in our midst' DO they
take any measures 70 break up the
white slave traffic among us? DO they
appear as ministers of Christ before
legislatures and demand parity .lecis-
lation2 DO they in tho pulpit represent
the chief evils OF the times in all their
horror OF present and future conse;;
9nences' or do they only speak OF cyl
In general and refrain from all that
would shock and displcasc? In short,
is the church the chief and sufficient
educator morally Of tho people in the
e a
Doubtless the action OF the eight
ministers emboldcncd "Civis' 10 give
his ideas on cuScnic marriages in this
mornings paper. Evidently this writer
has considerable Misrepresentation or
the subject which he attempts 10 dis
cuss. He derides the idea that eugenics
is a noble science" and calls it the
science Of breeding animals. He does
not reflect that mental as well as phy-
steal tendencies are inherited, and that,
by insuring Il right !nheritancc for the
child We would insure the future wei
fare, and happiness OF the race. lie
conditions of any accepted marriage
lawi and this might be necessary but
for the habitual and universal self.
women in general, which cxoneratcs
them as class from immortality. Their
habitual morality makes marriage safe
for men. but the frequent, and often
excused. immortality OF men makes
marriage precarious for women. Hence.
the necessity for law ~ regarding men.
"one OF the many reform fads' that
will soon pass away He declares
that the evil Is not Widespread: that
the reformcrs have "magnified things"
II he Will take the trouble TO read
Hygiene and Morality" by Lavinia l..
Dock. he will discover that. instead of
cXaggcrating the matter, the half has
never been told" Concerning the hor-
riblc conditions that really exist. So
Getty and the church seem to have
hitherto agreed To preserve that con-
spiracy OF silence which gives evil the
chance to grow and strengthen itself.
To XIII poisonous Sshpeni we carr grlvf re
good lick at H. To destroy evil we
must see ii as il is and fight IL with
with the conditions that make eugenic
marriage desirable. 1t has been esti-
mated that the immoral disease is
the most widespread and universal Of
all diseases in the adult male. and
records indicate that about 70 per cent
of men are afflicted with IL AS IT is
not surprsin that its responsibility in
causing diseases among women is
variably estimated by different sur
geons as from 40 to so per cent. 1t Is.
directly and indirectly. the main cause
OF race suicide. infant mortality. and
the low birth rate. To it are due so per
matory diseases in women. 20 per cent
OF all special operations of women, 90
per cent OF all office work done by
ity in both sexes, so per cent Of oph-
thalmia jim babes at birth. and - per
cent of all blindness in the world. II
is the only known cause of locomotor
ataXia, OF all paralysis under forty
years OF age and OF insanity with gen
eral parcsis ia the older man. 1t is
the greatest cause of deafmutism, mall
formation. dcgencrativc changes and
tumors in brain. bones and blood yes
sells. as we'll as of idiocy and imbecility.
1t is the preparatory process for cam
Ger and blindness In later life. The
vast majority OF all innoccntly con.
tractcd cases of il are those contracted
by wives and children through the in
stitution of marriage" A great deal
more might be said.
Finally, an editorial in Wednesdays
paper bewails the sacrifices required
the fine spirits who for some physical
defect or inherited infirmity are most
willing TO foregO marriage. hN this worry