A CHAPTER FOR WIVES AND MOTHERS 493 



Without doubt, a complete summary would make 

 this showing still more appalling, since of the 709 whose 

 histories were traced, it was in many instances impos- 

 sible to determine that the individuals were guilty of 

 crime or unchastity, even where there were grounds for 

 suspicion. Such cases were not included in the sum- 

 mary. 



No amount of argument on this question could be 

 so conclusive as are these simple facts concerning the 

 *'Juke" family. It is certainly high time that our 

 legislators began to awaken to this subject, and con- 

 sider whether it would be an unprofitable experiment 

 to make some attempt to prevent the multiplication 

 of criminals in this manner. We are not prepared to 

 offer a plan for securing an end; but it is very clearly 

 important that something should be done in this 

 direction. 



A Physiological Fact.— It is an established physi- 

 ological fact that the character of offspring is influ- 

 enced 'by the mental as well as the physical conditions 

 of the parents at the moment of the performance of 

 the generative act. In view of this fact, how many 

 parents can regard the precocious, or even mature, 

 manifestations of sexual depravity in their children 

 without painful smitings of conscience at seeing the 

 legitimate results of their own sensuality? By debas- 

 ing the reproductive function to an act of selfish, sen- 

 sual indulgence, they imprinted upon their children an 

 almost irresistible tendency to vice. Viewing tlie mat- 

 ter from this standpoint, what wonder that licentious- 

 ness is rife! that true chastity is among the rarest of 

 virtues ! 



Prof. 0. W. Holmes remarks on this subject: 

 ''There are people who think that everything may be 



