Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-05

A eugenic marriage 10 . marriage
entered into after either one or both OF
the contracting parties pass . pre-.
scrabed medical examination
Reasons Pro and Con.
Those who ardently support eugene
marriage laws do 30 on the ground
that it is an effort to prevent by law
injury TO the human race. to prevent
the marriage Of those who arc unit for
parenthood and to save children from
coming into this world manned ana
crippled in body and brain. Those who
oppose such laws do SO on the ground
that eugenic marriages are a matter
Of education and that it Is impractical
to enforce them. They further argue
that those who are morally and intel
lec:ually the best do not need such
lawe, while those who are the worst
will not heed them. They 80 still!
further and contend that this will open
the door tor fraud IL :h:t promises OF
marriage may be broken without any
legal responsibility whatsoever: all
that the party seeking to avoid the
contract has to do is to swear or get
a certificate that he Is not physically
or mentally At In some particular
respect
General Eussnies.
A short time ago, according to the
Survey, thirty-four states forbade by
law the marriage Of the insane. lunatic,
and those incapable Of consent: fifteen
o. the idiotic: nine OF the epileptic;
eight OF the imbecile and feeble mind
ed: four OF those afflicted with venereal
diseases and two Of the habitually
drunk.
Drastic Eussnies.
Recently Pennsylvania, Oregon and
Wisconsin have passed strigent eugen-
ic marriage laws. In Pennsylvania
there must be a sworn reply to forty
eight questions. among which are
whether imbecile epileptic, or suner-
ing from a transmissible disease. Ore
gon and Wisconsin 30 further and re-
quire the certificate Of q duly licensed
physician, but these laws are not ap-
plicable TO tine female OF the species
Tho Oregon law requires that ten days
before the issuance OF a marriage
license there must be fled certificate
granted on the oath Of duly licensed
physician that the male person Is free
from infectious or CONTAGIOUS yenerea
diseases. The Wisconsin law 10 very
much similar TO this except that II
fully provides for the application OF the
recognized clinical and laboratory tests
Of scientific research and that the state
hygenic laboratory Is TO be the ma
authority in case OF doubt.
The Iowa Attitude.
Iowa has no eugenic marriage Ia"
as such. but there are certain statutes
and decision which somewhat resemble
this recent legislation requiring health
and heredity certificates. In fact, q!
| the law In this state bearing on tne
question Of eugenics IS defensive rathei
than affirmative.
Breach Of Promise.
| There are, according to the Iowa de-
c,sions, certain Qualifications for non
performance Of the contract OF mar
rage. A person Is not liable for breach
OF agreement to marry one afflicted
| with syphilis or any other venerea
| disease, unless the promise vas mad
with knowledge thereof. Likewise !
| has been held where. after the en-
gagement contract. It was learned tina
+. the defendant was a woman OF bat
character or reputation for chastity ant
| immortality there was complete &C
/, Tense for refusing to carry out I'M
contract. Whether 1t Is justifable t
irefuse to carry out the contract be
cause one OF the parties Is consump
tive is still an open question in till
state.
Divorce.
| The ONLY ground for divorce which
bears on the question Of eugenic mar
rage laws Is where the wife IL preg
nant by another than the husband be