The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 3 (of 4): A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better BabiesHague, W. Grant (William Grant)
Science
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 3 (of 4): A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better Babies
Hague, W. Grant (William Grant)
Eugenics; Hygiene; Marriage
Most people are honest and sincere. It is difficult, however, to arouse
the majority to concerted and sustained action. If the honest and
well-intentioned element in society could be influenced to a sustained
effort to correct existing evils, in any department of human effort, the
fraudulent and dishonest members of society could be effectually
rendered harmless. If the suggestion which I have advanced in the
article on Eugenics, to form Eugenic Clubs in every community, should be
adopted, the members could, in a definite way, contribute to the
propaganda, by insisting that the members of the legislature and
Congress inform themselves upon these subjects, and act and vote in
accordance with the sentiment of their constituents. It is only by some
such systematized, concerted effort that any hope may be reasonably
entertained that this question will be satisfactorily and finally
solved. That it is capable of being solved satisfactorily there is no
doubt whatever. It depends upon the women.
The passage of The Pure Food and Drugs Act, caused, for a brief period,
a cessation of the strenuous activity which had previously characterized
the patent medicine business. It was not, however, to be expected that
any single legislative act would permanently strangle such a
parasite,--for we must remember that it is an easy and a highly
remunerative calling. Nor was it to be expected that men who are adepts
in sophistry and experts in quibbling could not find a way to circumvent
the intent of the law.
This was proved to be so because they are again beginning to advertise
more freely and with more assurance. One of the best known has assumed a
new advertising garb. Its new diction is specious and clever, but it is
a satanic cleverness when its history is weighed in the balance. It is
quite probable that its formula may have been slightly changed, but at
the end of each advertisement the following suggestive paragraph
appears:
"SPECIAL NOTICE--Many persons are making inquiries for the
old-time ----. To such would say, that this formula is now put
out under the name of ----, manufactured by ---- Company,
C----, Ohio. Write them and they will be pleased to send you a
free booklet."
The old time ---- was condemned by the United States Government as an
intoxicant and stimulant, and cures were sold in various parts of the
country for the ---- "jag," yet in the new advertisement the following
appears:
"---- is a remedy that should be kept in the house. Its virtue
as a preventive to disease is the thing I wish chiefly to
emphasize.
"When once the value of ---- as a household remedy is
understood no home would be without it. Cathartics, pills and
powders would be discarded. Irritating tonics would be no
longer taken. ALCOHOLIC DRINKS WOULD HAVE NO PLACE...."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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