The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-03

Tho causes OF ilegitimacy and It's creator
prevalence In somo countries than In others
have often been discussed by French and
other Continental writer's. The first English
essay on the subject Is contained In the latest
number Of the Social Science Series. which
has boen imported by the Messra Scribner.
and which bears the tito OF LEGITIMACY. a
Study in Morals. by ALBEIT LEyTN0wEL1. NJ. D.
Tho inquiries which. with the help OF
official statistics. the author attempts to
answer arc the following: TO what extent does
illexitimacy prevail among the most civilized
people: how is 1t affected by poverty and des-
tuition: Is 1t checked by the diffusion Of
education and increased by ignorance; is 1t
influenced by religion. and may we detect any
difference In the deterring pressure Of differ
ont creeds: Is the phenomenon o constant
factor in nations birth record year after
year. or. II not constant Is It increasing or de-
creasing: and finally. what is the effect OF race
on legislation and public sentimentp
So far as the statistics Of tho United King
dom are concerned. there is no doubt that dur
ing the twelve years ending with 1880 tho pro-
portion OF illegltimate births has been yearly
constant although in England and Scotland
there has been slight tendency tn n decrease.
In England. Scotland. and Ireland. tho ille-
gitimnte were in Ireland %. in England A. and
In Scotland 81. Almost tho same figures meet
us twelve years later. This is strangely sug-
gestive record. 1t is surprising to us. in the
first place. to learn that illegitimacy. which Is
an outcome OF human action based apparently
upon the lluctuating impulses Of passion. and
involving the exercise OF what we call free
will In one Of the most important emergencies
OF tpdividual life. Is yet on tho whole governed
by immutable laws. No less curious and hard
to explain Is the fact that year after
year OF each Thousand births In Scotland
there aro almost twice as many illegitimato as
in England and in Wales. and more than three
times as many MS in ireland. What conclu-
sions arc to be drawn from tho iacts2 That
the peasant mother OF ireland is moro solicit
GUS for the chastity OF her daughter than her
sisters OF Scotland and OF Encland2 Are the
precepts OF Virtue more highly priced and Of
inculcated In the mud cabins Of
Mayo than beneath the thatched roof OF the
cotter2 Or Is superior virtue the re-
suit OF oducation2 The Irish pensantry are
stepped In ignorance as compared with the
laboring population OF North Britain. Shall
We then infer that vice and poverty 60 hand in
hand2 An Englisl,man would not kennel
his dogs In such novels as are inhab-
lted by men and women In some OF the
Islands on tho western coast OF Ire
land. Can 1t be tho efrect OF religious training
and infinence2 Scotland reioices In the open
Bible and the right to private judgment. while
Ireland submits her conscience to tho control
Of her priesthood and tho guidance Of an iu-
'allible Church. Arc we. nevertheless. to infer
that as matter OF fact Catholicism is u more |
sffectuM deterrent from sexual immortality |
han any form OF Professionalism How then |
ioes 1t happen that tho largest percentage OF |
LEGITIMACY Is found In Catholic Austria and |
n Catholic Bavariaf 1t is not to BIO imagined |
hat DR.. LofIingwell dismisses each Of these |
suggestions with phrase: on the contrary. 1t |
s the pui pose OF his essay to examine them |
n detail under all the light that statistics can
provide
Among all the causes no ara II o mn pnosad IN