The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-25

holds up his hands against all early
marriages.
Prof Johnson has analysed the situ-
alton to ascertain exactly why men do
not marry early and why some do not
! marry at all. His conclusions are as
follows: Because of disease: pessimism
in regard to women: deficiency of one
kind or another. causing difficulty in
getting an acceptable mate; unwilling
ness to make the necessary sacrifice
| in money and freedom. and prolonged
| education and apprenticeship.
Higher education is one OF the prime
causes of the decreasing number of
| thinks that the educational period
should not be prolonged past the early
twenties.
The professional schools in our coun-
try he says, are steadily delaying the
age of graduation and thereby that Of
marriage. They formerly asked for high
school training. and many still ask no
| more. But other schools have demanded
more and more. until now a student needs
a collegiate bachelors degree for en-
trance. The situation is made still more
serious for medical students by the fire.
| auent postgraduate hospital practice
| without pay"
1T is time to call halt. This cannot
go on without serious loss to the race.
| Our young men should not have their
marriage postponed by external circum-
stances past twenty-five years. This
| means we must allow students to spe-
cialize earlier. II there is need of limit
ing the number of candidates. let US
have competitive entrance examinations.
We must have our superior men marry
ing earlier. even at some cost to their
early efficiency. The high efficiency of
any profession can be more safely kept
up by demanding a minimum amount of
continuation work in afternoon. evening.
or seasonal classes. laboratories. or
clinics"
Difficulties of Mating.
Mating is much more difhcult among
human beings than among the inferior
animals. Prof Johnson points out. In the
inferior animals because of the larger
role of instinct and the lesser role Of
social regulation and judgment. nearly
| all the individuals mate But in the mod
ern man there is the contrast of an I'M
precedented number OF minated individ-
uals. This condition, says Prof. John
son. has developed with the growth of
romantic love, which is the exclusive
preference for a very long period for one
mate over all others. This tendency has
been very much accumulated from the
time of Petrarch. the first modern man,
down to the present day.
AS a means of Fastening marriages.
Prof. johnson urges that eligible young
people broaden their circle of acquaint
ances He says cards. dancing. and
theaters are to be encouraged among
young people because of the fact that
they tend to widen their circles of friends.
Delay in marriage offers a serious sit
ia alton. ccnteids Prof. Johnson. To post
pone marriage. he explains. seriously re-
duces the likelihood of marriage. Facts
do not bear out the assertion of critics
that late marrying women will have their
children closer together and so eventual
ly have as many, he contends Further
more. he maintains. the late marriage of
superior persons cuts down their con-
tribution to the race stream. because the
years of fertility left to the wife are
reduced
When selectivity in the matter of mar
riage is spoken about. persons frequently
boot it as ridiculous and declare that
mating is wholly capricious and there
fore ungovernable. This is fallacious.
however.
Social Control Effective.
Social control has made itself effec-
| tive in marked manner in the past says
Prof. johnson. Indeed. many of the
the notorious deceased wife's sister pro-
vision. 1t is obvious that marriage laws
should make as few restrictions as pos
sible without strong reason. minimum
age and high degree Of consanguinity
have been an almost universal matter
for legislation or enforced custom. And
let it be noted, the objection has been
primarily eugenic. A relationship closer
than that of cousin should constitute
4 ~ ,,t Sor,
not be denied except in the event of that
| branch Of the family. common to the
cousins in question, having individuals
with certain specified defects
First-born children are on the average
inferior. physically. mentally and morally.
to the brothers and sisters who follow
them. according 10 PORT. Kari Pearson, of
the University Of London. another au-
thority on the subject of eugenics.
He declares that first-born children
show the highest percentage Of still
births and are most delicate during child
hood. Further. they weigh less and are
shorter at birth than are later-born chill
den. n study of the inmates of homes
FOR the feebleminded and insane shows
him that frst-born children are there
in disproportionate numbers
Criminality. he contends. appears
also to be a characteristic of the eld-
albinism, and congenital cataract af-
feet the frst-born in abnormally large
mum bers, he says.
This inferiority. Prof Pearson. saws,
is partly due to the fact that many
weak parents die after having only a
single child Such a child counts, of
course. as a frst-born and naturally
inherits some of the weakness of his
parents; but his inferiority is due
| rather to the bad stock than to the
mere fact he is a first-born. the pro-
| fessor holds But aside from this, he
maintains that the first-born are. on
the whole, actually handicapped. This
| may be partly due to the youth Of
| their parents and partly to physiologi-
cal conditions in the mother.
Sees Danger to Race.
Believing that the eldest children
are thus handicapped, Prof. Pearson
| sees great danger to the race in the
| present tendency to make families
consist Of two children. In a normal
family Of about five. the first born only
makes up one-hfth of the population.
and their inferiority is swamped
But in many classes of society today
the number of offspring Is limited to
| two. Under these circumstances the
| hrst-born make up half, instead of
one fifth. of the population, and their
inferiority must necessarily be a much
more serious menace to the efficiency
| Of the race. In the interests Of the
race. Prof Pearson therefore declares
that parents of eugenically superior
l stock ought il possible rear a family
of five or more children.