204 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



for many to believe that they cannot be trained to do as normal 

 people do. Bad environment, lack of opportunity, ignorance, 

 and what not, are given as causes for their failure to function 

 normally. But those who have had these brighter defectives in 

 institutions for the feeble-minded, and have watched them from 

 childhood, under most careful training and instruction, know 

 that they never develop bej^ond a certain stage : and know that 

 there is in these morons a lack as definite as in any other form 

 of feeble-mindedness ; a lack which makes it impossible for them 

 to become thoroughly responsible. 



At large, the moron may become an alcoholic, prostitute, sex 

 offender, thief, or graver criminal; he is almost sure to be on 

 the very edge of the poverty line, if not an actual pauper. Dr. 

 'Goddard tells us "Every feeble-minded person is a potential 

 criminal," and this is particularly true of the moron the high- 

 grade defective, who passes for normal, yet who lacks in whole 

 or part the sense of values and the will-power so necessary to 

 the law-abiding citizen. He has been misunderstood; he has 

 been credited with a degree of responsibility he does not and 

 cannot possess ; he has been sent to correctional institutions time 

 after time only to come out unimproved ; and he has been left 

 free to perpetuate his irresponsibility, because we have not 

 realized : 



( 1 ) That the moron is not a normal person mentally. 



(2) That he can never be made normal, and 



(3) That feeble-minded invariably produce feeble-minded un- 

 less combined with normal stock. 



FUNDAMENTAL FACTS IN REGARD TO 

 FEEBLE-MINDEDNESS 1 



SEVERAL important facts regarding mental defectives have been 

 clearly established : 



1. Feeble-mindedness is incurable. 



2. The feeble-minded reproduce twice as rapidly as normal 

 stock. 



i Adapted from "Fifth Annual Report Virginia State Board of Chari- 

 ties," pp. 11, 12, Richmond. 



