Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-08
THE FEEBLE-MINDED
BY H. AddingtOn Bruce

N wv ADA4S ., LnduhS CnlSUy TO WluS-
~ spread publicity regarding the rela-
a tionship between crime and feeble
mindedness, the feeble-mindeG as a class
are held in undeservedly bad repute. In
the opinion Of many, to be defective almost
inevitably means to be delinquent.
Consequently there is a pretty insistent
demand for the immuring of the feeble
minded in institutions. Catch them early
and shut them up before they can harm So
ciety," is becoming a popular slogan.
Actually, however, there are good de-
fectives well as bad ones. And among
the bad are many rendered so by faulty sur
roundings in early life. Too often society is
even more harmful to the feeble-minded
than they are to society.
Given special care and protection in child
hood many a feebIe-mnded boy or girl may
be reared to a life Of useful service outside
of institutions. Even among those who
have been guilty of delinquencies there are
not a few redeemable to self-re Getting, self
supporting existence if given special train
ing for a time.
Abundant evidence might be cited to bear
out this statement. Particularly impressive
are the findings of a survey of the after his
tories of feeble-minded person for one rea-
son or another released from the Massa-
chusetts School for the Feeble minded dur
ing the past quarter of a century.
Most of these-as is frankly acknowledged
by the schools superintendent, DR.. Walter
E. Fernald-were released under Trotest.
The schools authorities believed they would
do so badly in the world that they soon
would have to be recommitted.
A. matter of fact, out of GAG cases trac-
ed for the survey recommitments were found
necessary in only 101. Making allowance
for seventy-eight deaths, more than two
thirds of these eliminates of the school got
along we'll enough. Some got along exceed
ingly well. Says DR.. Fernald:
who ha6
attractive homes, bore good regulations in
the community, went to church, and appar-
emily were making good in every way.
Among them they had thirty-four children,
all of whom seemed normal"
Yet:
"Of the eleven successfully married home
makers three had been discharged without
protest. eight of the group seemed so I'M
promising that they we're not allowed to go
from the school until their discharge was
ordered by The supreme court on Wrlts OF
habeas corpus All of the group of eleven
were apparently definitely feeble-minded"
And with reference to male inmates of the
school who had gained their freedom:
''TWenty-eight were earning good living
without supervision. They had been away
from the school from two to twenty-three
years Few of them had seemed capable OF
self-support while at school.
"Their weekly wages ran from So to $50
They were working as teamster elevator
man. factory worker, farm laborers, carpen-
ter, tinsmith chauffeur, etc. One is n busl-
ness for himself as a npainted. One had
saved $4,000, another had bought LONE.
Facts like these emphasize, of course, the
value of the training methods employed IN
the Massachusetts School for the Feeble
minded. More important, though, they also
emphasize the inhumanity and economic
folly of taking it for granted that every
feeble-minded person is menace to society
and should be cut off from society. Early
training of the right sort will clearly work
marvels.
Only, the early training must be given,
and given intensivei, else the feeDle-mlno-
Cd are indeed likely to take a fearful veng
enace for society's neglect of them.
Copyright, 1921, by The Associated News
papers)