The Irish standard., 1903-02-28
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT.
What the Hero Of San Juan Sass
on Marriage.


President Roosevelt is an emphatic
believer in the Biblical precept Gin
crease and multiply" Himself the
father of six children, he looks with
alarm upon the tendency among Amer
lean men and women to shirk the du-
ties of marriage, and especially of
parenthood. lie has issued an earnest
protest against this tendency. 1t
takes the form of letter to Mrs.
John Van Worst, joint author With
Miss Marie Van Worst, of THE Won.
an Who Toils.'
The paragraph which especially at
tracted the Presidents attention was
one in which Mrs. Van Worst deplored
the voluntary sterility of the Ameri-
can-born women Of this country.
She declared that the fecundity among
them is less than III any other nation
in the world, unless it be France,
whose anxiety regarding the depopula-
ton we would share in full measure
were it not for the foreign immigra-
ton to the United States.
Immediately upon reading it Presi-
dent Roosevelt wrote the following
letter to the author.
"White House, Washington, October
Is, 1902: :
"My Dear Mrs. Van Vorst:-I must
write you a line to say how much
have appreciated your article The
Woman Who Tolls But to me there
is a most melancholy side to it, when
you touch upon what is fundamentally
infinitely more important than any
other question in this country, that is,
or partial.
can easy, good natured kindliness
and desire to be independent that
is, to live ones own life according to
ones own desires--are in no sense
substitutes for the fundamental vir.
tues, for the practice Of the strong
racial qualities without which there
can be no strong races-the qualities
of courage and resolution in both men
and women, of scorIl of what is mean,
base and selfish, of eager desire to
work or fight or suffer, as the case
may he, provided the end to be at
tanned is great enough, and the con-
temptuous putting aside of mere ease,
mere vapid pleasure, mere avoidance
of toll and worry.
II do not know whether l most pity
or most despise the foolish and selfish
man or woman who does not under
stand that the only things really
worth having in life are those the ac-
quirement of which normally means
cost and effort. If man or woman,
through no fault of his or hers, goes
throughout life denied those highest of
all joys which spring only from home
life, from the having and bringing up
of many healthy children, I feel for
them deep and respectful sympathy
the sympathy one extends tc Tie gal
liant fellow killed ut the beginning of
a campaign, or the man who tolls hard
wicke street and North Frederick
and is brought to ruin by the fault
of others. But the man or woman
who deliberately avoids marriage, and
hnc. I, MT fr>
passion and brain so shallow and sell
fish as to dislike having children, is
in effect criminal against the race,
and should be an object of contemp-
tuous adherence by all healthy people.
"Of course, no one quality makes q
good citizen, and no one quality will
save nation. But there are certain
great qualities for the lack Of which
no amount Of intellectual brilliancy or
Of material prosperity OF Of easincss
of life can atone, and which show
decadence and corruption in the ma
ton just as much as if they are pro-
duced by selfishness and GOODNESS aud
ease-lOving laZiness among COMPARE
lively poor people as If they are pro-
duced by vicious or fridolous luxury
in the rich. If the men OF the nation
are not anxious to work in many DIFF
ferent ways, with all their might and
strength, and ready and able to fight
at need, and anxious to be fathers OF
families, and If the women do not
recognize that the greatest thing for
any woman is to cb good wife and
mother-why, thatnation has cause to
be alarmed about it's future.
''There is no physical trouble among
us Americans. The trouble with the
situation you set forth is one of char
acter, and therefore we can conquer
it if we only will.
Very senccrely yours,
'"THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
j. +. Mccarthy, well contractor.
Estimates furnished on application,