The herald., 1896-11-01
%e4AAeesAe&eeeAee4AA&A&A4*
} WOMAN SUFFRAGE :
BY ABBOT KINNEY

question is by this clever title confused
Slovenly thinkers are caught by the
word rights" and induced to support
female suffrage under that name.
Women have rights, men have rights
and society has rights. The first and
dominant right in each case is the right
to live. Everybody understands what
the right to live means when applied
to individual men and women. When
the right to live OF the individual comes
into conflict with the right to live OF
society, the right of the individual Will
fall before the greater right of all. When
the individual threatens the life OF So
ciety. society will imprison, or in eX-
tremity. take the individuals lfe. So
we have execution by law. Arson, theft,
bomb throwers, rioters or murderers,
every one can understand must be re-
strained or destroyed by society. The
point that is not clear to the present
generation Is that no society can live
where the births are less than the
deaths.
The American republic cannot live if
the people who made it are replaced on
the Atlantic by Huns and Vandals and
on the Pacific by poems and Mongols.
The sentimentality which has protect
ed murder in this country until we have
arrived at the unparalleled record OF
10000 murders year and the equally
appalling entire defeat of justice in all
but ten per cent of the cases, has also
made possible this extreme phase OF the
rapid sterilization of the American race
called woman's suffrage. The ten thou
sand murders are a mere drop in the
bucket considering the lives of the peo-
pie and the life of the society as
whole, when compared to the preVen-
tions of conception and the abortions
IN our high type population. Ii society
is justified in protecting itself againsl
murder which is only slight danger
to the whole society, 1t VIII surely b.
justified in protecting it's life against
a far greater danger-sterilization and
determination of the American people
by the destruction of the provocative
instinct power and wish in American
women 1t is said by reliable, conserv-
Native authority that California can sup
port ten million inhabitants. Everyone
desires to see the population grow il
not to ten millions at least far beyond
what we have now. Los Angeles is
generally conceded to be only at the
beginning, of it's career, and the wish
is but a father to the thought of new
thousands to our population.
Who are these new people to be? l.
there no room for our own children .
And if there is room for our own chill
dren, why do we not have them? Los
Angeles is in deed in the best of posi-
lions amongst American cities in the
matter of children. In the last two
years the birth rate has actually most
Of the time exceeded the death rate
TD,,t xr-1,0 toIr
of his friends and their children with
out having the fact thrust upon him
that his own circle and part of society
is on the road to prompt eXtermina
ton.
Galton has figured out that a vigorous
population requires six births to mar
riase. There is no such average In Los
Angeles amongst any class of Ameri-
cans.
Our material standards have out
grown our morals. This person married
late, another does not marry at ALL and
amongst the married Americans on al.
sides prevention of conception is an in
fection. This one can not educate a
child properly, another fears the re-
sponsibillty of creating children, but
most just simply won't be bothered with
them. The educational system and our
Ideals all point to careers inconsistent
with maternity. The bearing and care
VI OCCOlIC d CuiSC " OLi
high type people. and they refuse to
handicap their indulgences on one side
and their ambition on the other Are we
to officially increase the dangers of race
determination, that are so clearly here,
by adding new ambition and new careers
to our women? Are we to further lead
them away-nay, force them away
from the home by new duties that are
more than any other handicapped by
child d-bearing? Are we to fly in the face
Of the experience of all mankind and set
up sex assimilation in society that
has nowhere and never been the ac-
compartment of race or national
strength? Besotted races of savages in
wild hooks of the world like the Nairais
or the Andemans have sex social assmi-
lation. These numerous remains of prim-
tive conditions are contemplate in q
weak and hopeless background of half
humanity. Rome and Greece were
great when their family life was strong.
But when the purse replaced the soul
and wealth drove religion from the
people - just as is now hap
pening and marriage failed to
bring children their greatness left them
Rome was not conquered by rowing
tribes of savages. Rome died from with
in. High material standards displaced
the old high soul standards. Sterility
destroyed Rome. When Rome fell there
were no Romans.
st. Jerome tells US of a marriage of q
Roman woman who had had twenty
three husbands to a man who had had
twenty-one wives. AS this beat the di-
vorce record the generous populace gave
them a flower festival. Marriage is a
useful convention. Independently pro-
duced In every society. It's origin and
reason is plain in birds and animals
Marriage is to secure the life of the
race. Marriage is to provide for the
production and care of children, so that
the race may live. Marriage without
children is the convention without its
object. That is substantially what we
are coming to. Should we accelerate the
pace or should we not secure our repro
ductive power before we take another
step to prevent American women from
child bearing? People can talk as much
as they please about outside duties. but
a woman who has six children must
have them during her vital years. Six
children and their care will handicap
a woman out of any contest with men,
tai equal man or woman, in any outside
career. The woman physician, artist,
singer. actress, engineer. lawyer and
down to shop girl and stenographer, re-
fuse the handicap. These smart ones
are self-sterilized. The exception
proves the rule. Even in our soldiers
home the result is already shown--half
the patriots at Santa Monica are of for
eign birth.
Our married friends, how many child
rem have they? Two, one, none. TIE un-
married ones probably have no more
Here and there exceptions still exist
and families of reSpectable size are