Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-18

which we are justly proud, Il direct
should lead this nation a. it has done
In many things before. out and UP
from the hidden danger Of the ages.
MI. Speaker. 1t would be In vain
at this hour for me 70 ask you to MS
ten to the awful record of this disease.
To those of you who have not studied
as 1 have this record Of destruction.
can only ask you to take my word.
Ii you knew of the wrecks, the stunt
ed and diseased living. the fortunately
premature deaths. you surely would
not hesitate. You whose lives are
clean, to have like record given to
your sons and daughters before mar
riage.
II the law should prevent or save
annually from out the secret cham
bers OF disease, few or many, IT
would be tremendously worth while.
If the nations of the earth are to be
preserved, the secret diseases at
whatever cost must be banished from
the earth. Who knows, who shall
tell what was behind the mental dis :,
ease back of this great war, the Gw- !
fulness of which we need not now
recall Appalling indeed is the medi-
cal history throughout the Kingdoms
and empires of the world, and
among their rulers. too. Let us do
all we can to make our State the
home, not of degeneration and de-
cay, but the home of the strong, the
able, and the great
A few days ago one of the most
intelligent members of this House.
for whose character and Judgment !
have all respect. said to me, Il be-
lieve in your bill but fear il strikes
at individual independence" Indi-
viduai independence of whom? The
child in its mothers womb feeding
on the death dealing germs which
unless the good God aborts will be
reared to everlasting ruin for itself
and its offspring or sucking at its
mothers breast the poison that shall
| damn it and generations forever
more! Individual independence in
, deed When under the grave and
tremendous responsibility of our
, power we leave one stone .unturned.
one blow not struck to save this babe
from destruction and the life, il lived.
from propagating its own, speaking
for myself alone, if i falter. BE it SO
much as turns the scales in the esti-
! nation of hair" ! who know its
black flag of destruction. then for
me, for me. l shall pray for mercy
at the Judgment seat.
It would be impossible in the time
your courtesy has given me, to.illus-
trate by recital OF cases anything OF
al, f,,I Ia. k,.s aff lat
disease. ] could tell you of cases that
would sicken you Mn the biting dis
aster of detail. Since our gathering
the first of the year. it SO happens
] have been called some two score
miles from home 10 visit family.
, the husband and father of which I
begged 30 years ago not to marry a
charming girl who soon after be-
came his wife. How awful the
wreckage among the six children.
! And the pitiful part OF it was my
helplessness. Why, pray you, shall
we here. who alone have the power
refuse or question our aid? In the
! literature that comes to me. and
more or less to you, from Government
and other sources. | find mention il
mostly made of venereal diseas es ex-
| listing in the slums. the lower walks
| of life Do not be misled. From
royalty to the slums, syphilis knows
| no class, but has its victims, the rich
and the poor, the great and the
small.
| 1t may seem to some that ] am
exaggerating this evil; that my en-
| thusiasm has led me away from the
| level balance of scientific acumeD
and that children do not suffer unto
the third and fourth generations as
my differences indicate: but if any
SO think. 1 have only to say that you
do not know. If You had studied it
as 1 have, seen the bitterness, the
| horrible unhappiness. the sweet and
! gifted children, the flowers only part
in blossom when the blight came, the
splendid hopes of promise and am
bition. the world of work, the JOY
of life with it's hopes to do and to
be, then the faltering. the miserable
weakening effort, the blow that grad
ually faiters, the fight that never can
win, the hope never to be realized.
the purpose and ambition that must
give way, the struggle. hopeless, ut
terly hopeless. If God is good to him
or her, death, if not the lingering de-
feat the life wasted. unto the chill
dren of the third and fourth gen.
erations. tApplause)
! On motion by Mr. Phillips of Bar
Harbor, the report wa, accepted.
On motion by Mr.. Rounds of Port
land, the rules were suspended and
that gentleman presented the follow
| ing order out of order:
Ordered, that all bills and resolves
not specially assigned shall be taken
from the table on the Wednesday
following their tabling.
The order received passage.
| On motion by Mr.. Heal of Weston,
| Adjourned until ten O'clock tomor.