Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-08-24
Why the South 10 Out CROWNS New Eng
land,

Why the South 10 Out Growing New Eng
land.
Springfield Republican.
While the public are discussing the
causes OF slow growth or Of positive de-
cline in the population Of New England
and the other States which have not
kept pace with the progress OF the
whole countryside South included-it
would be we'll for US here in Massachu-
sets to consider one slight but import
ant siement in the questionable dis
posai made OF infant life, both before
and after birth, among class OF our
population. Few persons are aware OF
the extent to which marriage is post
poned, concubinage substituted for 1t
and the birth OF children prevented or
else their little lives destroyed, by per-
sons married or unmarried, here in
Massachusetts,. 1t is not a subject sus-
ceptible OF very exact statistics, but let
each reader put together the facts OF
this kind that have come and are COM
ing to his knowledge, and then let two
or three persons compare notes on these
points and they will be shocked to see
how far the evils we mention have gone.
The census reveals little oftiTem, except
by its failure TO meet expectation in the
numbers of our people, that these
are real and increasing evils, great
crime now and then discloses, or the &C.
quired experience OF some physicians
or public official finally reveals.
la some countries the great number
of persons living outside OF the marriage
relation is publicly known, and the cen.
sus there takes note of large proper
ton OF Legitimate births. Here no
such facts are publicly recorded, but
those whose duties takes them into this
field of social science know that the
number Of illegitimate births in Massa-
chusetts is much greater than any sta
tistics show, and that il would be far
larger were not wicked means taken to
prevent or conceal such births. The
mischief is on the increase, and one
part of 1.-THE prevention OF birth We
refer to the destruction OF incipient hu-
man life by any Of the various means Of
abortion, medical or surgical)-has ex-
tended widely among married people.
But it is not that We are no speaking;
rather concerning the child-murdering,
baby.farming, and wet-nursing crimes
which observation will disclose in many
of our large cities, and particularly in
Boston, which is most exposed to them.
And one of the worst features OF the
matter is the conviction that must fix
itself upon the observer that some re-
spectacle physicians, many
uch,-have become parties to the GRIM
inality. There is large body Of irregu-
lar practitioners who lend themselves to
all forms of illegal medicine and sur
yery,-but there is also section of the
regular medical profession who do the
same, or are falling into practice. 1t
used to be said by an old New Hamp-
shire Judge that no "young man should
practice law unless he had an independ
ent fortune" so great are the tempta-
tions to malpractice for money in that
profession; and the same will soon come
to be said of medicine. There are phys
icians, it is said, who will, for fee, act
as brokers between the young mother,
anxious to hide her shame. and the pro-
fessional baby farmers, who, for another
fee, will receive infants with distinct
understanding that their lives are not
worth saving. This is shameful bust
ness, though it may sometimes masquer-
AIDE as mercy to the unfortunate, or may
assume some other fine or professional
name. Equally unfortunate in its re-
suits, oitentimes, is the practice OF en-
gaging "girl-mothers," as the French
call them, for wet nurses to the children
of the rich, while their own children
are put away in places where they are
almost sure to perish. In such cases
the wages of the wet-nurse are but the
price of her own infants death,-shall
We not rather say murder? In this
transaction also, physicians often assist,
with the best of motives perhaps-but
without realizing what are the inevita-
BILE consequences