Evening journal., 1914-02-14
GIVES REMEDY
FOR THE UPLIFT
OF DETECTIVES


The following Is contributed by c.
Reginald Van Trump. who Is greatly
interested in the uplifting Of defec-
tiyes:
DR.. Albert Robin, Of this city, ap-
peared before the mems class OF
Friends First Day School at Fourth
and West streets, on the eighth in
slant and gave a most instructive talk
upon special training of detectives.
He pointed out that the most vital So
cial problem of the present time is
the care OF the defective child. We
are devoting much attention to crimi-
nology and the correcting OF wrong
doers but none to the causes which
produce criminals. We see the evil
effects Of our present social system
but not the cause which produces
them. A man is a criminal because he
commits a crime and is caught. This
Is a day OF ic0noclasm, of questioning.
we are not satisfied to accept effects,
and to 60 on as our grandfathers did
in the same old way. Furnishing the
wrong doer and accepting HIM as an
unpleasant fact; but we must look
ANlH1A anu AAC ~ ulcAONtI lnC tduEN
which lead to malefactiOn.
Following this line of investigation
we find the child is father of the
criminal; a defective child makes a
defective adult; and we trace the
source Of delinquency not only ba k
TO the child but TO previous genera
tions; and often find in heredity the
responsibility for a deformed life. All
detectives may be divided into two
classes, the oongenital defective and
the acquired defective. The acquired
defective Influenced by environment
is somewhat under our present con-
troll We may improve the social at
mosphere and correct much of the
evil surrounding this class, but for
the congenital defect handed down
from father to son, our only hope is
in guarding the future generations
The science of eugenlcs will have to
be solved before there is radical re-
form In our social system. Defective
parents are bound to produce defec-
tive children. this has long been re-
cognized In the breeding of animals.
The only way society can save itself
IS by the regulation of marriage, not
by legislation, but by education to
the end that each Individual shall
feel the personal responsibility and
the distinction between tyres.
In the defective child physical abb
pormalities may be modified by en-
vironment Under our compulsory
education law the child must go to
school, where they are herded to-
gether. the bright and the dull The
detective child is never IN cOngeniai
surroundings. From causes beyond
his control he is disciplined, dlscour
aged, always feeling at a disadvan-
taee, until smarting with a sense of
injustice. he finds a cOngenial atmO b
phere not at school, but on the street.
where he holds his own among his
companions. and takes refuge In tru-
ancy and soon developes delinquency.
From the standpoint of the school,
backward child is a continuous bal
last interfering with its highest eff
cheney. The other pupils cannot do
their best work; the teachers whose
attention must be directed to the
backward pupil and whose nervous
system is continuously. irriiated by
the 'laggard" cannot do their bott.
The result is that lower level is main-
toned by a school which is unfortu-
nate enough to have backward pup Is.
The chain Is as weak as the weakest
link. The loss TO the state by this
lowering of educational efficiency, the
loss through bringing up OF defective
citizens. the loss through the increase
of criminal classes. with the necessary
jails, penltentaries, reformatories ami
similar institutions, when calculated
in money would far exceed our ma
tional indebtedness.
The remedy for most OF the obvious
defects OF cur educational system lies
in three measures. First, the medical
inspection of school children; RENE
dial treatment of improbable defects;
and finally the isolation of the con-
genital defective under different
system OF education more manual and
less intellectual work according TO the
ability of the publ Special classes
for the backward child in which he
Is always In company with those Of
his own age and calibre. In cases
where the mental faculty does not de-
vclop. a training school Is a necessity
In which those that remain always
children and REQUIRE continuous su-
pervis'on throughout life may be
guarded from the evil influence of the
world TO which they are always sus
ceptblc and segregated so that thev
may not produce more of their own
kind and made happy in occupation
and recreation within their scope.