The morning call., 1893-05-21
UNFAIR TO THE GIRLS.

Inc vital statistics OF france Tor last
year show that the number of deaths in
that year exceeded the number of births.
That is a very unusual exhibition for
civilized nation to make. Natural increase
is the leading factor which is considered in
computing population. Here there is no
natural increase, but on the contrary
natural decrease. Nations have often
diminished in numbers but the phenom-
enon has been due to emigration. This IS
believed to be the first instance on record
where a civilized people has gradually de-
creased like some of our Indian tribes or
the Kanakas of Hawaii.
One leading cause of the phenomenon is
the enormous consumption of young men
in the army and navy. A French soldier
is practically a ceibate. If he is an officer
he cannot marry without proving 10 his
general that his wife has a dowry
which renders her independent OF him;
If he is private or non-eommissioned
officer he must obtain the consent Of his
colonel. The colonel allows a given pro-
portion of his men to marry, with the
understanding that their wives shall do
laundry work for the regiment; that number
reached the other men must remain single.
now 3, 3,240 600 men; thus, practically, nearly
three millions of young women cannot
become wives and mothers. a similar
condition prevails in Germany. The war
strength of that power is 1900, 600 men
this probably forbids two and half mil
lions of girls from marrying. We may 20
further. The war strength of Russia is
computed at 100000, and that of Italy at
100000. Adding the four nations to-
gether. we fiud that nearly sixteen mil
lions Of men are condemned by law to pur-
sue career which fOrbids marriage ex-
cept to small percentage of the whole.
1t is no wonder that according 10 the vital
statistics deaths are outnum bering births.
In all countries the sexes are nearly
equal in numbers. In most there is
slight preporderance Of females. appa-
rentIy to offset the probably greater NOR
tality of women in married life. But the
numbers are so nearly equal that where
any considerable number of men are with
drawn corresponding number of women
are debarred from life of usefulness as
mothers. This is an unwholesome con-
dition for a nation 1t gave rise. in ar
cient times, to the practice of polygamy.
Prodigious numbers of men being killed
in wars, the girls who under ordinary cir
cumstances would have become their
wives were pitchforked into the haremS
of the rich or the powerful. 1t is shocking
TO contemplate the possibility of restora-
tion of p0lygamy in Europe; and yet if
10 per cent Of the men are taken out of
the market by the pugnacity of Nations,
desperate remedies are sure 10 be sug-
gested. At the close of the thirty years
war in Germany the law against po-
lygamy became dead letter in Silesia,
AT the close of the Napoleonic wars in
France the gravest disorders arose from
the absolute impossibiIity OF finding hus-
bands for grown-up girls.
1t is curious that no one has drawn at
tention to the Injustice which the beliger-
ent propensities of Europeans do 20 the
women. Men have no right to doom 10
per cent of their women TO life of
celibacy. merely to exhibit military
prowess. 1t is a shameful wrong. 1t is a
crime. Such men as the present Emperor
of Germany will some day be classed by
the historian with Alaric the Goth and
him who was known as the Scourge of
God. It has been we'll said OF his hered-
tary dominion of Prussia that it is not a
country with an army, bat an army with a
country; and under the tutelage of his
grandfather he has grown UP to consider
war the proper business of a sovereign.
He is ready to trample the institutions Of
his country in his mad desire to increase
his army. Happily for the world. the
solid common-sense of the German people
will bring the young scatterbrain to his
bearings. If any incentive were wanting
to hold them to their course it would be
supplied by the thought that the wars of
the present day cannot be conducted with
out inficting an injury on women for
which their authors should never be for
given,