The San Francisco call., 1897-04-30

with war, with insanity and with crime. We
begin 10 wonder If the awful power with
which nature clothes maternity in heredity
does not strike blindly back at the race for the
artificial requirements at the hands of the
producers OF that race. We begin to wonder
if mothers do not owe higher duty to their
offspring than that OF mere nurse. We be- gin
TO wonder If the mother has the moral right to
give her children the inheritance that accident
aad subseryiency stamp upon body and
mind. We begin to wonder how she dares
face her child and know that she did not ii,
herself by self-development and by direct,
maternity before she dared TO assume its
responsibilities. We begin to wonder that
man has been so SLOW in learning 10 read the
message that nature has telegrephed TO him in
letters OF fire and photographed with terri bic
persistcncy upon the distorted. diseased bod
les and minds OF mis- children, and u pom the
moral i'm Giles she has set before h i'm as an
answer TO his message of sex dom. ma ton. Dc
you know that there is an army OF 100000
dependent detectives in this country alone
Don't you know that this leans something &c
thousand foi ced into lite without their brit
rightl Seven hundred thousand i'm beetle,
insane, deaf, dumb, blind ard criminal vic
Tins OF maternal and paternal tgnor snce
Stop and think of it. Our standing army is
only O bout %, 900 men-these for our protec
ton; our detective army-7OO,O OOO-these ioi
our destruction Think of 1t IN another way
There are but three citles-possibly four now
in America which have population ol
700. 600. Nevery man, woman and child in
your city were helpless or criminal still les.
than half of our defective population you'd
be represented thereby.
Sell abnegation, subserviency to man,
whether he be father, lover or husband, Is the
most dangerous theory that can be taught tc
or forced upon her whose character shall molo
the next generation. She has right tC
transmit a nature aud q character that is sub
servient, subjecI, inefficient, undeveloped-ir
short, siavish Character, which is eithel
blindly obedient or blindly rebellious, and is
therefore, in either case, set as in rimeIocl
to prey or to be preyed upon by society in lhs
future.
If woman is not brave enough personally t
demand and to obtain absolute personal lib
erty oil action, equality OF status and entire
control OF her great and race-end dowing iunc
tion of maternity she has no right to dare L
stamp upon child. and TO curse q race, witt
the descendants of such q servile, dwarfed
time-and-master serving nature.
We have been taught that 1t Is an awfu
thing to com nit murder, TO take a huma In life
and SO OF course II is. There is no dfferenc,
OF opinion on that subject. But do you know
that there are students of anthropoogy anC
heredity who--thInk that 1t may be even
more awful thing to thrust, unasked, upon
human n being life hat is handicapped befor,
he gets II? That IL may be more solemn re-
sponsibility to give than TO take human life
In The one case the murderer inva0es persona
liberty and puts stop to an existence NOR,
or less valuable and happy, but at least al
pain is over for tnat invaded personality. Ir
the other case, IN giving life, you invade tn.
liberty of infinite oblivion and thrust into al
inhospita bic world another human entity t,
struggle, 10 sink, to swim, to suffer, or to en-
joy.
Whether the one or the other no morta
knows, but ne surely knows il must contend
not only with its environment, but with it
heredity-with itself. For we al follow the
line of least resistance. Did you ever Ihinl
seriously of that? No man is bad sim ply from
choice. If you are good and true and lofty i
Is because all Things con sidered, that is TO you
n \,
race must make it easy to be good, easy 10 b,
true, hard TO be ignoble or criminal, not b,
rewards or punishments-those methods h avl
been weighed and found wnnting-but by tn
very blood pulsations that are TRANSMITTED
from both parents TO the children to whom
they take the tremendous responsibility o
giving life.
1t is the fashion to repeat, THE hand tha
rocks The cradle rules the world" Every on
knows that this is not true in the sense il
which 1t has always been used. II is true, a. as
publican.
1t is true that the subject status of m aternit t,
has ruled and does rule the world. in that i
has been-and is to-day-ths most pote n
power 10 keep the race from lofty achieve
ment. Subject mothers never did and subj jsc
mothers never will produce race of free
children.
Msternity is an awful power 1t blindl
strikes back at injustice with force that is
fearful menace 10 mankind. Aud the FAC
bullied. su bordinated, or made the victims O
blind passion or power. or of mothers who ar
simply too pretty and seif-deb based to fee
their subject status, cannot fail to continue I
give the horrible spectacles we have alway
mad OF war, OF crime, of vice. of trickery, O
douole-deaIing, OF preiense, of lying. of AFRO
gance, OF subssrvience. of brutality. OF incom
pelence, and-alas-of insanity, idiocy an
disease added to a fearful and IN uhnecessar
mortality.
Not long ago great man, who is successful
nAXOnd hn nnit hn s. al,h
socially to be envied, who enjoys almost idea
family relations, who is in all regards mi
OF broad in tel ieet, of large heart, who is be
loved, successful, powerful, famous lawyer
q man OF international renown, long ago thi
man said 10 me, while talking OF life and il
chances, its joys and iIs burdens and wrongs
We'll. the more think OF it all, the more
know, the more | delve into PHILOSOPHY an
sciehce. the more l understand life as 1t is an,
ss it must be for long years 10 come, if not foI
ever, the more wonder at the sturdy braver
oi those who are less fortunate than /. De
1t pay me to live? Would l choose to be bor1
again? Were 1 to-day un born, could be aske
for my vote, knowing all do of life. would
vote 10 come into this world?
Taking life at its best estate are we not as
suming tremendous risk TO thrust il unaske,
upon those who are at least safe from Its pit
falls? l asked myself these questions yer
often" he said. And then he added, hesiial
ingiy. 81 sometimes think il pays after all. o
course, since l am here / am bound to max
the best of it, but for all that / am not dea,
sure now NOulu VOle on my plrth II i he
the chance to try it-not quite sure"
'f you are SO impressed with life yoursel
you who are for tunate, healthy, wealth y
happily arried. successful, fam Gus aud hon
ored man" said /, don't you think it ID
pretty serious thing 10 assume the right L
cast that vote recklessly for another human
pawn, who could hardly conceivably stan,
your chances in the world?"
"serious,'' he exclaimed, "seriousl Will
the words conditions what they are to-day
with the physical, moral and mel ntal chances L
run, With wOman-the character-form1ng pro
ducer of the race-a hailed ucated subo rdinat {
TO masculine domination, it is little short o
madness; 1t is not far from crime. 1t lis Grim
unless the mother is a physically healthy,
mentally developed and comprehending, NOR
ally clear, strong, vigorous entity who know
her personal responsibility in maternity, and
knowing, dsres maintain it," That WAS hi
verdict. Yet IL has been the fashion 10 holC
that the mothers OF mankind should not b.
the thinkers of the race. Iuceed, in comment
ing upon the congress of representative,
women in Chicago at the Worlds Fair, tn,
most widely read newspaper on this cont
nent said, editorially:
There is TO be great series of women
congresses held at Chicago during the fair
The purpose is to illustrate and celebrate tn,