The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-09-01
TELLS THE TRUTH

We are in receipt Of a circular
from Gerrit J. Johnston, of Grand
Rapids, retired cigar maker, by ap-
pointment of Gov. Groesbeck a men,
Der of the State Institute Commits
sion, whose business is it to examine
and report upon conditions in the
various State charitable and penal
institutions. But whatever Mr.. john
ston's calling may have been in the
past, he is at present a philosopher
whose deductions are important
enough to entitle them to the widest
and most serious consideration. At
ter telling of the insanitary condi-
tions prevailing at the State Public
School at Coldwater, he says:
"The next visit was at the Michi-
gan Home and Training School, the
home for the feeble minded at La
peer. Here are 1853 inmates and it
it estimated that there are about
1000 feeble-minded running around
the state who should be segregated.
Michigan handles this problem most
clumsily. We build a building, then
fill it up, build another building and
fill it up and the Predetermined on
the outside keep reproducing them
selves faster then we can afford to
erect buildings to care for them.
There is only one way to stop this
menace. The legislature could en-
power board Of reliable citizens
qualified to judge who are feeble
minded, to have them sterilized so
they could not reproduce. But what
stands in the way Of this much needed
reform? The Church. If the legis-
lature would propose a practical
measure you would find the Church
loud in its protestations."
We agree with Mr.. Johnston as re-
CARDS the growing menace constituted
by the reproduction of feeble-minded.
Its existence is recognized and con-
stitutes a problem in almost every
community. We agree with him
most heartily as regards the remedy,
but we are compelled to disagree
with him very radically as regards
the seat of hostility toward remedial
measures. This does not reside pri-
marily in the church. 1t resides in
an Indifferent populace as regard
less of religion as of its other Obliga-
tons to society and the state.
When men and women can be
brought to realize that true devotion
to the commonweal has the most
important bearing upon their per-
sonal happiness, they will be ready
to take the steps that Mr.. Johnston
rightly holds to be of firstimportance.
At present the disposition of too
great number is not to take any
steps OF any kind, but rather to "stcp
on 'er" and hit the high spots. So
ciety is the victim Of too much pros
perity. 1t needs to sober up. But
we cannot acquiesce in placing the
responsibility for this condition of af-
fairs upon the membership of the
churches. So far as we have been
able to observe the clergy and laity
of the churches constitute a most
intelligent, patriotic and progressive
element Of our citizenship. Indeed,
we believe that Mr.. Johnson, un-
consciously perhaps, shares our senti-
ment in this regard. The fact that
he charges the church with being re-
miss in this matter also demonstrates
that he considers it the one agency
best suited and most capable of
achieving reform. We don't need to
attack the churches, Mr.. Johnson, but
| it is logical to cooperate with and
help them, or, to give the phrase a
different turn, to make them help
u.s.