The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-03-11
Alcohol and Degeneracy.

Life and growth are mysterious
processes. We know little OF Ell
Their. We know something OF the
changes that take place when one
tiny cell begins TO divide and multi
ply and take shape as a life germ
grows into a snail, a cat or a human
being. The force that controls the
process OF growth we call life but
just what life is we do not know.
We can forecast with a certain de-
gree OF accuracy the particular kind
of animal or plant into which a
group Of cells will develop provided
we know the origin of the cells. We
know that the egg OF an English
sparrow will under proper condi-
tions develop into a sparrow; we
know that a grain of corn when
placed in the proper environment
will produce stalk Of corn; we
know that lion always gives birth
to lion whelps, squirrel always
brings forth squirrels, human be-
ing always gives birth to other hui
man beings. Like produces like.
We also know that the character
istics of ancestors are transmitted
to ofrsprings. There is just now a
considerable difference of opinion
as to whether or not a father can
transmit his characteristics TO his
child, but whether he can or can
not we shall not discuss here. This
we do know: The flerceness OF the
lion is inherited from its ancestors
through its parents; the cunning Of
the fox is inherited from its ances-
tors through the parent foxes; the
good qualities or bad qualities OF
child are in large measure deter
mined by the qualities Of its fore
fathers including its immediate par
ents. Not only are the characteris-
tics Of mind, disposition, ETC., trans
mitted, but the strength and weak
ness of the body also. Strong,
healthy animals usually produce
strong, healthy progeny; good sound
seed corn will produce healthy, Wig
orous stalks and abundant grain;
strong, healthy people usually have
strong. healthy children. The in
telligent, the weak-minded, the mo-
rose, the light-hearted, the morally
strong and the morally weak all
have a tendency to transmit their
qualities to their children.
This tendency in plants and ami
mails to transmit their character
istics Of body and disposition to
their offspring we call heredity.
There is much discussion as to just
how far the laws of heredity prevail
in determining the Characters
tics of an offspring, but | shall not
enter into that discussion here. We
know that the offspring Of man or
of other animals is influenced by
certain forces that operate before
birth, and we know that bodily
strength or bodily weakness in the
father or mother often manifests it.
self in the child. Strength begets
strength and weakness begets weak
ness is a law that is pretty gener-
ally true.
If a man Injuries his body in
some way how will that injury |
itself in his child? If he
pOisOns his body by the use OF some !
drug what effect will this have on
his offspring? II the cells that pro-
duce the life germ are in some way |
so that they cannot func-
ton properly and only abnormal or
poorly developed germ cells are pro-
duced, what effect will this have
upon the life that grows from this
life germ? These are questions that
every man and woman ought to con-
slider. The primary function Of men
and women is TO perpetuate the
race. Every man who expects to be
a father and every woman who
hopes some day to be mother owes
% the unborn child duty that none
should ever forget. What do the
father and mother want the child
o be? This question ought to be
thought over by every young man
md young woman even before they
hink Of entering into the marriage
relation.
Whenever see a mental defec-
i've | look back generation or two
n that child's family for the cause
and | usually find it. When see
! child that is blind or diseased in
iome other way usually do not
rave to look back beyond one or two
generations TO discover the cause OF
Is sorrow. For a long, long time
,eOple believed that when a weak
minded child was born into the
amily il was just the will Of the
ord that il should be so. But we
now now that in almost every case
here is some cause TO be found