The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-18

Of insanity are simply contributory
and simply add to an inherent mem
tai weakness that breaks under
stress and strain. The assigned
causes so frequently given as true
causes, would leave very few OF -us
on the outside OF an institution. Loss
OF money, love affairs, loss Of loved
ones, domestic troubles, etc.
/ Influence of Heredity First.
TN order 20 eliminate a large per-
centage OF insanity and mental
| Effectiveness it will then be neces-
/ sary to give full consideration to the
| significance of the influence of
heredity, syphilis and alcohol, the
| exploitation Of the evil results of
procreation among detectives, the
| early recognition Of the homeopathic
character and the value of early dis
| position OF the affected individual
wherein segregation and steriliza-
| ton in selected cases may be carried
out. can think of no more horrible
thing than the privilege being grant
ed to such defective individuals to
pass on to posterity a heritage that
can only result in a life time sojourn
in a mad house, or what might be-
considered much worse by some, a.
life Of prostitution. 1t is through
the detective delinquent that disease
and vice is spread, and even though
the most strenuous efforts were
made, it would be impossible to ever
secure q 100 per cent perfect race
eugenically, because OF our inability
to prevent vicious habits in those
who come after. There will always
be detectives among us, but it would
seem that their number might be |
greatly reduced by appropriate |
measures, and it would not work a
severe hardship on any individual
OF family.
Less Than Half in Hospitals.
AT the present time there are ap-
proximately 250,000 insane, and /
about 10000 feebleminded under
public charge. make conserva-
tive estimate when say
that probably less than one
half Of the insane are in the institu-
tons Of the United States and when
it is considered that there are about
six times more feebleminded than
insane, with only 10000 Of them UNI
der supervision, some idea may be
had Of this terrific influence for evil
that is abroad in the land.
ct is conservatively estimated
that so to So per cent Of all criminals
are mentally defective and that from
40 to IS per cent Of all prostitutes
are below par mentally. Compared
with other menaces / think that the
woman OF child bearing
age is overshadowing all others, as
the integrity Of the home, and the
moulding of the generations to come
hang in the balance, and it behooves
all to aid in the elimination Of these
from society and to
protect those yet unborn.
lnnocent Az a Child.
THE feebleminded girl Of is is as
innocent. as helpless and childltke as
her normal sister Of half her age
and is Justly entitled to the same
protection as the little girl of similar
yet she is without pro-
lection and is pursued and hunted !
by evil minded or thoughtless men
as ruthlessly as a hunter would pur- |
sue 9. rabbit. Her innocence, help I
lessness and ignorance are the means |
OF her undoing, and when in her
she is led into vice, she
il cast, out to be made the sport and
victim of reckless and vicious men,
and then. she wreaks a dreadful
in retribution upon society 4
by spreading infectious disease ana
vice. breeding a multiplying progeny
NJ her own sort VINO almost 1nYar1-
ably follow in her footsteps.
Marriage Laws Fatal. IL
Marriage laws have but little eff
feet on remedying conditions Tor
such cases, as marriage is OF little
moment to them and the result Is
and degeneracy. or one I
he earliest places In which detec- {
i've delinquency may be discovered !
8 the schoolroom and teachers
should be taught to recognize these
,ases so that they may be kept IN
Ter supervision. 1t should be con-
,Idered whether the condition was
,anedial or congenitRl, and IL con- \
rental the case should be at once Z
'emoyed and segregated from the y
formal. and IL able to be self-sup- !
sorting, later should be rendered I
ION sprocreative. This subject is or o
ucb vital importance that 1t seems
very effort should be made TO rem
Ter to future generations as nearly =
Is possible. normal mental an 4
leritance. =, o
lind nature has been to US in hef v
5Fts from our progenitOrs. On the
,1kIect Of insanity and defective
.aIin0uence. the public like Caesars >,
I'M Gaul.' is divided in three parts. e
Tba lrgt state that drastic meas v
res are necessary or we will all be- II
ona insane. The second beheye N
vitb the present arrangements IN y
oy,i,,rction with eugenics, and prop x
y,lTT safeRuarded marriage laws, that
l,era IL no cause for alarm, but the
hird and largest division knows r
tile or nothing Of the subject ana y
GEMS to care less. We however, =
iii not all become insane as the "
RET dIvision believes, nor will the y
FNr 4
Iyision suffice to prevent an IN
sing number Of detectives. so the
reat third division must be edu- oil
ste5 and coerced into taking an a.
tive mart in combating this great .
1ansca Conservatively, ] would -
av that probably one person IN I'VV9
as personal knowledge Of actual
onaitions that now exist on subjects
: this kind. and it win only be by r
ringing home to every person the =.
nth as to conditions now eNlstihs scr
nd the remedy for same, that any II
rogress can be made which Win De W
{ much value to the puDIlc - 50
hole from a sociologic and econ OF
mic standpoint.
Laws Are lmmutable.
"The laws of heredity are inn
lutable, and according to the ~
.atistics are found to result as Iol- ms
,ws: The mating Of normal wom- 20
\ and a defective man results IN ur
child of such union having TWO
,anres out of three Of being normal.
he mating OF a normal man with
detective woman results In Il
,iI5 Of this union having one - -
nance out of three of being normal. -,
9th parents defective, the child win ma
1doubtedly be defective. This is va
"a MendIlion Law Of Heredtty and
Is been demonstrated in tens OF
Iousands Of cases. "a
"a svphiIitic father can transmit ~ ~