The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-11-21
SOCIETY OUGHT 10
TAKE CTIOW ON
UNFIT PARENTAGE

. IN TN a ~ TE
and remove these causes. In this
view, prevention supplants one, CON
structive philanthropy takes the
place of mere alns-Giving While We
must be sensitive to actual suffering
and active TO relieve 1t. we must real-
ize that such action lis often merely
temporary and palliative.
A Special Feature
Because Of these truths. the gener-
al committee and the executive COM
mtttee have made the problems or
child welfare Il special feature or this
conferences. In the solution Of child
problems they sec the ultimate solu-
tion Of many OF our most serious so
cial problems. Defective. dependent,
vicious, criminal. unsoctul adults are
inevitable products Of abnormal child
life. Indolencc, lack Of initiative,
want Of self-rcspect, rs we'll as posi-
lively vicious characteristics, are abb
normal in both child and adult The
crucial question, therefore. concerns
1.-The causes Of abnormality In chill
dren.
Although views conflict at many
points and although much remains
obscure. abundant evidence has es-
tablished that there are three funda-
mental causes Of abnormality in chill
dren: namely. Il Defective heredf.
ty Deficient nurture and train
ing. Injurious occupation and
environment. Brief consideration OF
these causes sevcrally may point sig
niticant practical conclusions.
Defective Hercdity.
.
when the deficiency of child is due
to parental disease her defect which
is known to be translnissible Tin
questioned examples arc. certain vene-
real diseases and feeble-minde dness
In both cases. the faint is transmit
ted in the form of various defects.
and hence the fact has been but re-
Gently proved. Though no instance
is known where two feeble-ntnded
parents gave birth to a normal child.
vet the marriage of such persons is
still a common occurrence in Ameri-
can communities. Now that the
cause is known the birth Of every
such child-victim is social crime.
The faint itself of such parents
.deadens# their sense of responsibilityI
towards both their own progeny and
the community. The only possible
corrective IS action BY the society.
action which is fully justified by the
need Of protection both for e#inno-
cent child-victim and for the commu-
nifty itself.
Views differ as ito the expedient
treatment of such potential parents.
Several statements legally authorize
sexual sterilization remedy liable
1 to consequences scarcely less grave
than the evil itself. All agree as to
I the effectiveness OF segregation un-
der human restraint. but hesitate to
accept it on account Of the heavy
icosts involved. Yet the pecuuiary
costs of this preventive would prob.
ably be Immediately no greater. ulti-5
rnately much less, thar present costs.
to the community of caring for de-
}#fective and delinquent children and
the consequently defective and de-
linduent adults in the ever increasing 81
i variety and number OF Institutions
for these classes. In addition. every
" community actually bears a heavy
burden in the direct damage and de-
moralization effected by these classes.
v Treatment Of the kind suggested
/ must. of course, be applied only 10
I persons tainted with transmissible
defects.
Deficient Nurture.
Y. Deficient nurture concerns
r. OIL sanitation recreation and edu-s
eation. That deficiencies under each
&of these heads impair the physical,
uIentaland moral quality Of the child
IS established truth The conse-
querces ct best are weakness. Jack
of Initiative, inefIiciency. susceptible
Ity to- disease; early loss OF earning
capacity. premature death-al1 OF.
which mean a relatively ineffective
life and a consequently enfeebled.
community. The consequences at
worst are dependence on charity. and
3 crime. oIten in family groups both.
constituting heavy positive burdens
on the remaining members of the
n community. Hence deflcient#nu nurture
N invariably results in economic loss
and burden for the. community, not
ITO speak OF impaired manhood and
wonanhood and the indirect effects
through childhood on succeeding
generations.
Who is Responsible?
III Concerning deficient nurture. the
immediate and practical questions
are: first, who IS responsible for it2
" and, second. how is the responsible
ity TO be exercise and enforced.
Responsibility for the nurture OF
children lay originally and naturnlly
with the parents. Failure Of the
resulted in enFeehlement and rutI..
less extinction or their offspring. BY
4 this merctlessly inflicted penalty, tha
weak and undutiful elements were
eliminated from the community, and
Il only the At and responsible strain
survived. Natural selection conserved
. . Il. . (