New-York tribune., 1903-04-13
THE QUESTION OF RACE SUICIDE.
Quantity Not Preferable to Quahty-No
Premium Should Be Placed on Evil.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: ANY word spoken by the President Of the
United States must have a strong and widely ex-
tended influence. whether for good ILL., Careless
utterances are to be deplored, and In relation to
complicated questions qualified statements are al
ways necessary. To commend large families as
such is to prefer quantity TO quality, and may
produce disastrous results mother, child and ma
ton EXCEPT In patriarchal ages and in the early
history OF country where there is plenty OF room
and where large families are needed II is evident
that the moral. sef-respecting classes cannot
compete In the mere multiplication OF numbers
with those who have 10 standards OF living ana
if It were not for the terrific mortality OF nature
or Providence-however we may choose to regard
it-there would be in time not only submerged
tenth but submerged 20 per cent so per cent and
100 per cent
The world has always been saved by means Of a
righteous remnant one nation after another be-
ing destroyed. The question is whether we are
satisfied with the process and are Wiling 10 nave
America eventually go to the wall IN the moral
corruption which has overtaken every nation Of
antiquity or whether 1t is not time for society 10
be saved as a whole. and means to be found to
control the wilfuy irresponsible the imbecie dis
eased and perverse. and to prevent them from
multiplying their type. 1t IS certainly true thdI
the drunken and vicious take the place OF better
men; for If the average man is worth about s24 or
s26 to the government, and many are worth nothing
at ALL It follows that the rest must toll TO support
these People of education. sef-control ana tnrlrt
must remain unmarried because support is extend
ed and forcbly made for the least deserving
It is time for US realize that to found institu-
tions to relieve certain undesirable conditons IS
place premium upon those evils Sucn .I iIlstiI
tutions will always be filed. and 1t is 1rrationa
simply TO scatter the immoral from locality to
another, instead Of effectuaily preventing @ @tnenl
from doing harm If all women were Vlrluous-
all men. as rule, whether hand workers or @ oralIi
workers, would marry and there would be hapPy
homes with normal Industrial conditions put n u
order to attain this desirable state OF a1alrS u
will be necessary to remove the immoral-wneetneI
rich or poor-men women for life. 10 cehoate
communities. instead of providing them with nos
pttaIs founding institutions, adopted homes dho
every conceivable charity. ,-
Race suicide does not express the racts race
murder is a much appropriate term. as II
expresses the undermining Of society by VICE tne
destruction OF the benevolent and self-sacrlnclns
BY the selfish and malicious, and the gradua! ex-
tnction of those who have decent standards or Nv
ing. and who will not marry until tney can coii-
form to these, by those who have not
AS for encouraging the production OF large ram
flies independently Of any visible means OF SUP
port only be justified in case the Presloe,lI
wishes to prepare for war or unless ne expects
those conditions to continue which from time to
time in heather countries dectnate the popu4aLioI
by pestilence or famine. ,.,.
Temperance and prudence are virtues OF ciVilza-
ton but cannot afford to part with these even
in exchange for strenuous life NJ L. d
Wernersvle, Penn, April s, 1903