OCR Text |
Show EXTERMINATING CRIMINALS. The governor of Nebraska, says tho Bee, wants to sterilize the criminal and the insane. He has sent such a lecommendatlon to his assembly. The Idea is not new. In the past, and at more barbarous periods of history, his-tory, the method has been employed. In America, In modern times, It has frequently been advocated. But no law of tills nature has been passed in the United States.and none is likely U pass. The theorists have gone even farther. farth-er. Clnclnnatlans once proposed to the Ohio legislature to put to death the insane, the hopelessly Invalid and all deformed or weak children; merely mere-ly a reversion to Sparta, with all its horrors. The fanatics, of course, only incurred displeasure. Wo have not rome to that As to sterilization, the theory Is Dot based on sound principles. If it were a mathematical facts that the criminal always begets criminals, sterilization ster-ilization inlghtj be laudable. But it is quite true that some of the most noble Instances of human idealism have been born of parents at the other extreme; while all must "have observed that parents of the highest character frequently fre-quently give birth to criminals. As to the insane, if they bear the stato Is remiss. |