The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-02-17
EUGENIC LAW is PUT OVER.
Continued from Page ~

was outlined in an attempt to gain
support for the measure.
DR. II. ID. Holton of Brattleboro, n
member of the board of health, was
called upon to address the house aud
he urged the need Of some such le9is-
lation as the bill proposed. He stated
that venereal diseases were sure to be
communicated and were transmitted
to the third and fourth generations and
that the number of predetermined chill
dren was increasing. Some years ago
the vital statistics showed that the
proportion of divorce to marriage was
one in p and at the present time it
is one in eight and one great cause of
this increase was the bringing of dis
ease into the family.
Mr. Black of Burlington questioned
DR.. Holton as to how much of an OK
animation hy Il physician was neces-
sarv TO determine the presence of dis
ease. DIR. Holton replied that the aver
| age physician could not make such ex.
animation and it would have to he
done at the laboratory of hygiene by
| an examination of the blood. the cost
| being . few dollars.
Mr.. Graham attacked the bill on its
constitutionality aaId because the eX
pcnse involved i'm having a test made
| by the laboratories of hygiene woule
| place an embargo on marriage in tbs
ease of many poor but worthy young
men aud women as they could not af
ford to pay what the board of healtl
would call a reasonable price for sucl
tests, and eve have had some expert
cuce of what the board of health call
a reasonable price.
II DR. Mayo the member from North
field discussed the bill from the stand
point of q physician and characterize,
the present condition whereby innoceH
girls may marry diseased men as
damuable curse The state cxpeud
large sums Of money to care for I'm
Terminates and il would he wise thin
to protect them before it was too late
Mr.. Black OF Burlington opposed tn
bill and thought the same results coul
lac obtained 10y building up Il home il
fluencc. He pointed out that there
no state law whereby prostitution wa
made a CRIME and that the laws W
have are Inadequate TO cope with tn
situation. tie thought the expense q
an examination hy the board of healt
would be hurdcnsome and did not f;
/ vor placing the power of naming tn
fee for such examination into til
hands of that board. ....
t Spcak er Weeks told of his cxpcr
- encc III the state industrial school an
r. the Vermont state prison and instance
, some pitiful eases of children atfecte
r with disease aud expressed himself
Q favor Of the legislation proposed i
the bill
Mr.. Moore of Ludlow said that
first he was inclined to look upon ii
= bill as a Joke, but that later he can
b.. TO see that it possessed merit. and
: would offer some amendments at ii
proper time, making the act apple
: BILE to Eenoreal diseases solely iustea
d Of transmissihle diseases as intr
Il duced. Mr. Stacey of Hartford though
that if the bill were unconstitution
it would not be unconstitutiona
u quarantine those afflicted with diseas
> OF the nature under discussion and 81
: no reason for not treating them in ii
= same way that chic kenpoX or measl
n were treated, that is, by quarantir
p and placard.
On motion of Mr.. Smith of St. \
: bans city the committee rose an
. Chairman Wilson reported progress an
Il further consideration Of the bill.
The discussion on II 81 relating
u the open season for deer continued