From the Wagauga Democrat,
Boone, N.C., October 22, 1914. “Cousin German” is an old-fashioned term for
one’s first cousin.
From an economic view-point alone, the legislature of North
Carolina should enact a stringent law against degenerating marriage. A large
percentage of those under treatment in the State Hospital are the result of
marriages that ought to have been prohibited by statues. Trace back the streaks
of insanity in families; trace back the weak-eyed and cripples, and the one who
has been so nervous from birth that it has taken the constant watchfulness of a
faithful attendant to keep him from going to pieces—I say trace them back and
see if they are not the offspring of parents who were closely related by blood.
Our State Legislators, when in session, are often spoken as
“our Solons.” Have they merited the name? Who was Solon? He was the chiefest
of the wise men of Greece. It was he who told Croesus, King of Lydia, that
Tellus, a poor man who died leaving valuable children to his country was a
happier man that he (Croesus) with all his gold and sumptuous furniture.
Have “our Solons” ever displayed such grit as that? No—they
have created a statute forbidding a man to marry his niece, but permitting him
to marry his first cousin, or cousin German. I repeat that a man’s niece is the
same blood kin to him as his first cousin, but only half as much as his cousin
German, and that the cousin German is the same kin as his sister, or the two
parental brothers, may take back after different branches of the family.
But that does not better it, because in the second
generation, the red-haired sister’s children will take after the dark-haired
sister, and vice versa, showing that notwithstanding the difference in
complexion, the blood is the same. But “our Solons” have never yet found it
wise to stop men from marrying women who are the equivalent of their sisters.
Four years ago a high class member of the General Assembly
introduced a bill to stop cousins from marrying, but other members—gentlemen,
of course, by their positions—ridiculed the bill until it died in its infancy.
One of these members must have been a bachelor who had a
rich cousin sweetheart; and another was unquestionably a father whose son was
courting a wealthy cousin, or his daughter was being wooed by one, and of
course a few web-footed and crazy children was nothing in the eyes of two
modern Solons when compared with thousands of dollars to come in from the other
sides of the two families.
The next time such a bill is opposed in the Legislature,
just take it for granted that each member opposing it is either from a “cousin
town,” or he is preparing to start a new one of his own.
Gov. Craig has put up a fight for better freight rates,
better roads, and better prices for cotton—will he not espouse the cause of
better children? Will he champion the passage of a law to stop degeneracy among
his people and help them to tend towards the perfect man? Or will he and his
successors continue to strain the resources of the State for tax money to
support hospitals for that unfortunate class, that which results from imprudent
marriages.
Plutarch, that most beautiful of ancient writers, tells us
that one of the characteristic things that made Alexander great was his
attention to little things.
Take care of the dimes and the dollars will take care of
themselves. Take care of the blood of the State and the people will take care
of themselves. But with continued neglect in North Carolina, finally one half
of the people will have to take care of the other.
I have written these articles to benefit the people who have
no more weaknesses than I, but who have at least one that I do not possess.
Thanking the editor for publishing the same, and hoping there will be seed sown
in good ground, I am
Very sincerely yours, Shepherd M. Dugger
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