The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-04
heredity asa Factor in Crime

The following instructive address
was delivered by DR.. J. A. Mood oil
Thursday. March. 90 at the meeting
IN this city OF the Seventh District
Medical Association. and because of its
sociological Information. in that It
points out the fundamental cause for
much OF the crime committed and a
remedy for the evil. Il will be of in
ssrsst and vaius to the lay reader:
Gentlemen.
A midnight train rolls into an ,,o-
portant station. While It is waiting
Tor the passengers to be transferred
tho baggage and express unloaded,
or possibly another sleeper to be at
tachsd to the rear, you may see a
man In greasy overalls with a lantern
going tho length Of the train, tapping
co each wheel with hammer. His
business Is to locate any defect that
may have resulted from their rapid
rotation on the roadbed. He may not
10 c machinist: he certainly knows
Tut little about the operation Of a
treat railroad. but he Is perfectly COM
rstsnt to locate crack In a wheel.
Now. while 1 do not pretend to
Qualify 40 an expert In criminology Or
ssatecraft. I claim the right to tap OF
some OF these wheels of modern opin.
ION to determine whether or not they
contain q flaw.
Now I propose to examine the
methods which are used by society to
prevent or diminish crime; to deter
mine whether or not these methods
are adequate; to see II they are suffi-
csentiy comprehsnsive and potent to
remove beyond doubt any possibility
Of our national welfare being jeopar-
cised from this source: to determine
II they can be relied upon to keep
within reasonable limits the growth o
class that is an. ever present menace
70 an ideal government. The limit
Cd time that we have for this discus.
sson win nscessItate but cursory re-
view Of the subject. though even this
brief survey may open up some lin ,s
Of thought that may DC worth the
while.
Every student OF history must be
Impressed by the fact that all nations
ssem to have cycle OF life like tina,
Of an Individual man. a period of
growth, development and decay. Like
man. some are short lived while others
attain great, age. National longevity
and welfare seem to depend as surely
on national health and morals. as
dosy that Of human being.
The body Of man is made up OF
countless number of living cells.
bone. muscle. nerve and cellular tls-
sue that are constantly being repro
duced and die. while the l.fe of the
fnfividual goes on. A nation Is com.
posed OF n multitude of human beings
that are continually being born and
die. while the fife Of the nation con
tipyss. As the bodily health of
nan depends on the constant develop
ment OF normal cells. so the health OF
q nation as a whole depends ON the
character of It's individual citizens.
Whenever an appreciable number OF
abnormal cells are reproduced in the
human body. the tissue so affected Is
said to be diseased. and unless The
process In checked, the whole organ
ism becomes more and more impaired
until death results. SO II Is with, nat
ionai life-whenever a certain per-
centage OF It's citizenship become de-
generate or criminal. lawlessness and
anarchy appear. and national dis.n.
t ration follows. ..ol
civic righteousness is the only
safeguard to national welfare. and
therefore the question Of dealing with
crime becomes one Of first Importance
to the patriotic citizen. whether, he
considers II as q problem affecting the
destiny OF the nation. or one that
touches his own personal intere5ts
for II not only has much to do with
the future environment Of hfs chill
dren's children. but determines to
large extent the size of his tax reccip.
today. But the average American
citizen who thinks is usually surround
cd by an atmosphere of such pros
perity and wellbeing. his person and
property 30 thoroughly safeguarded.
that the question OF national perna-
money seems an assured fact That
the criminal and lawless element viii!
over become serious menace Is lit
tIe short Of absurd, and perhaps ne IL
right. but II you will examine the
Tynitca State repuna rcnorts for tl,s