The Haslingden Gazette. — 1911-08-12 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

ROIST. REID RENTOUL, M.D.)  It is encouraging that at last—rat last !--ono of the English County Council, has culled upon the Government to introduce "remedial legislation which is long overdue, and should be no longer delayed." EvidetiLly the Cheddre County Council is wakening out of its criminal lethargy. Will hi members go to sleep after -having called? For my part I think each County Council should act. Lea them adopt a draft Bill, submit it to the County Councils Assoeiation. and send a copy to catch M.P. in England and Wale,. The permanent I officials of our Government Departments are too busy to initkate legisiation. It is a pity Mr. T. R. : Boßey did not add to his resolution that it be forwarded to each Coumy Council in the United Kingdom foe their consideration and support. As far back an 1903 I proposed' that our degenerate &macs ahould be forbioden to marry. ,d,nd that it be made illegal for anyone to join three in masriage. wilts they could produce a prenuptial certificate of health, certifying that they were cured of their degeneracy, and were incapable of handing it on to their offspring. I further suggest, d that all degenerates be no surgically operated ripen that they can neither beget nor conceive. Beth these and other suggestions worn laid before the Royal Cornntiasions on the Care of the Fecblemir.deal, and that on our Divorce Laws. Thoo in. tecesb,sl sill find these. proposals fully &cussed in my work, "Race Culture or Race Suicide."' Labey? Mr. liouston. M.P., has called tits attention of the Commons to my proposals, he being one of the rfew who seen that we are evidentlj cheerfully and carelesily engaged it encouraging the manufacturing of more and more idiots, incbriadeo. feeble-minded, epileptics. lunatise. sexual perverts. prostitutes. chronic vagrants, habitual criminals, anal all that large family who come under the term neurotic, and is ho are grave dongent the nation. '  To me is is disappointing to note that since my sterilisation prepotal was made. we have, with our customary slozh, allowed Amerioa to take peemint place of action. rp to date, five of ha State legislatures have adopted it, while Bills hove been introduced into nine legisistures Ore doctor. Dr. Sharp, Indiana. a ritte me saying that he has operated upon over one thousand criminals, and without any deaths and with good •resulta He doss not, last sny anaesthetic. be calls jus patient from his work. operates upon him or her, and j sends him 'hack to his work. It is interesting to observe that over half of those criminals have begged him To operate. What we must, note, hoarser, It this little opersiion takes the placs of life-long segregation, permits fee person te work. protects the State. lessens taxation, mad makes it impossible for tbe man or svmuln to beget or conceive. For the .... • .  public have yet to !earn. and learn soon, that it is the person who is degenerate but not in. ane enough to put into an asylum who is the greatest danger, from the repreductive standpoint thiefly. It is a pity the perton who invented the grossly misleading expressions, "liturntless Epileptic," "Harm' j lees Lunatic." and " Harmless Idiot." had not been jabot. There is no suoh 'thing as a " harmless" degenerate. May I here repeat what I have urged ' in any above work, that we must drop the word "lunatic," and adopt that of "degenerate." Tlie mil&r and yet unrecognisml forms of mental degeneracy see filling our prisons. aeilutns. inebriate homes, and other inotitutions. During 1902. vie expended:Mbout £13,000.000 upon them. If we I do not act, and act soon. this sum will bye and bye excetwl L'25,000.000. Even though our Asylum Committees wrongly and miskutdingly toll us that eactia year they discharge so matTlY thms'ausis as recovered,- and this, too, when they know that a very large proportion of th,se are re-admit:est to the asylunst A truce to nil their hypo2ritical fooling,