254 THE RIGHT TO BE WELL BORN 



dead, to settle their estate after their death, 

 the surrogate and the administrator's 

 courts ; and, to look out for the interests of 

 orphans, we have orphans' courts. There 

 are courts for juveniles, courts for the ir- 

 responsible, where all may have justice 

 meted out to them, but where is the court 

 for the unborn? Who guarantees to the un- 

 born child its right of a decent heritage? 

 The most fundamental, the most inalienable 

 of all rights is the right to be well born ; to 

 have perfect health, and physical and men- 

 tal force, capable of development. The 

 child deserves to come into the world 

 sound in body, sound in brain and sound in 

 morals with good tendencies. 



How can these things be guaranteed to 

 children when besotted, or soaked in al- 

 cohol, or syphilitic men and women, or men- 

 tally defective men and women are allowed 

 by our laws to marry and bring into the 

 world offspring with unhealthy bodies, per- 

 verted intellects and handicapped with the 

 worst of earth's ills? Is society doing its 

 duty to the next generation when it allows 

 this to happen? Let every man ask him- 



