The Detroit times., 1913-01-28
90 PER CENT OF PRISONERS
ARE WEAK-MINDED
tcontinued from page one).

Pakc ohcJs
them. We're going at il, not TO keep
men out Of hell, but to keep hell out
OF men. Modern society is obsessed
with the idea OF cure, and II an
archangel, fully credentialed, should
come to Detroit with the promise OF
cure for everybody. you'd raise ST.
100000 before night, and there'd be
a terrific uproar. But here's the arch
angel OF prevention, ready TO do the
same thing in the natural way. and
apathy reigns and we do nothing
though we say that an ounce of pre-
vention 10 worth a pound OF cure.
'One way-not the only way, but
one important way-that we must at
tack the problem Is along the line OF
heredity. We've got laws against any
man poisoning his wife with arsenic
we kill him for II in Indiana-but
we permit him 10 poison her with
blood disease. We permit this potion
70 slay by the hundreds. to break up
homes and to breed degenerate chill.
dren
I'VE build our race from a vicious
stock, and then construct great in
situations costing 100000 each TO
house our detectives. Indiana has
1--we big asylums and prisons, and the
legislature Is considering a bill for
building a sixth. In the last so years
Indiana's population has increased 80
per cent; her insane have increased
263 per cent. II this continues, every
body In Indiana will be insane in less
than 800 years. But il won't con
tinue. We have a law for the sterili-
zation OF criminals, under which more
than 600 have been sterilized by their
own consent We've got a bill be
fore the legislature now for the sterili-
zation OF children whose offspring
would be menaces TO the community
Statistics show that % per cent
OF our insanity is caused by alcohol
IS per cent by blood scourge a. per
cent Is hereditary and 10 per cent is
accidental. Our preachers can preach
and our teachers can teach till the
crack OF doom. but they can't check
Il. They disregard the great principle
OF heredity.
"Prudery stands in the way OF the
application OF the laws which We
have discovered by study OF
heredity Prudery is not virtue, and
many times IL takes the cha 'acter OF
vice. In some 1t may be cultivated
into a real flower but it is Ierflously
likely TO make the mind into a wilder.
ness instead of garden. II IT, were
not for prudery, the sex problem
would be In fair way toward settle.
ment.
Twenty per cent OF our population
Is born deficient and ought not to be
allowed 10 breed or that 20 per cent,
one-half will destroy themselves be-
fore reaching the age of 20.
Let boy or girl get out into the
world at the age OF ~. and that boy
or girl will go to the dogs one OF the
things which has advanced the human
race most rapidly. physically, intellec
tually and morally, is the extension Of
the period OF infancy. | didn't let my
boy go until he was 23-and now he
stands alone.
More than 2G0 years ago Descartes.
the most original mind OF this latter
age, who more than any other thinker
has guided and nodded modern
science and speculative thought, said .
III ever the human race Is raised 10
the highest practicable level, morally,
physically and intellectually. tho
science OF medicine will point the
way | believe that. In Indiana we
everything that we consider necessary
and proper for the betterment of the
public health. and the supreme court
has interpreted that law in the broad
est manner"
Dr. Hurry explained the operation OF
the Indiana law for the sterilization OF
hereditary criminals
We obtain their consent TO the
performance OF the operation OF
vasectomy. which is very simple
operation and does not mutilate I'm any
way" he said. The criminal In his
cell has plenty OF time TO think. He
goes 10 chapel, and finally he is seized
by wave OF religion lie sends for
the chaplain. That is our time for
work on him. The chaplain points out
TO him that his parents were criminal
or degenerate; that his brothers and
sisters are In like condition. He asks