Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-07
THE BABIES ALREADY WITH US.


Dennison, president of the National
Federation of Womens Clubs in tbs
suggestion made in her Salt Lake ad-
dress. Mrs. Dennison, speaking of the
much discussed danger of race SUICIDE
expressed the belief that the question
Of race suicide may We'll be laid aside
until we have taken care of the babies
already with u.s." Calling attention to
the fact that New York City has 80
600 more children than the schools can
accommodate and that $4,000 babies
were born in that city last year, she
said:
Let us not talk of race suicide until
we can take care of the babies already
with US. The effort should be to estab-
lfsh manual training institutions, libra
< ries, Juvenile courts and all Things
which shah tend to safeguard the chill
voted to self-culture alone, is past. The
present time demands fore mutual helli
and the altruistic spirit the spirit
which seeks TO bear the burdens of the
brother man, Is the dominant note in
Llub life today. The great work of the
general federation in the past years has
been the passage of laws against child
tabor in the states Of Alabama North
Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia
In New York alone thsre are $4,000
children working in shops, in Illinois
there are 10000. and in Pennsylvania
$1,000. In these states the increase. in
i.literacy between the ages of 10 and
IA is marked. While the child labor
problem may not confront you a pres
ent. 1t is an evil which creeps in and
which demands the interest and atten-
lion Of all club women"
Whatever Mr.. Roosevelt may believe
ma say-and Mr.. Roosevelt's good
lense and sincerity have made the
American people his wiling auditors
ue average man and woman burdened
nth family responsibilities will accept
hrs. Dennison's practical conservatism
Is an improvement upon the presi
long as the family endures its councils
will deal more with its immediate wei
: fare than with the future of the race. |
Che burning questions to be discussed |
will continue to be those of its educa-
hon, comfort and the future OF its
younger members. 1t is not likely with |
the question of race propagation vii! |
be widely discussed in the family circle |
The day of the big family is done
family OF thirteen, cnce common I
enough, is curiosity now. Time was I
when the children of a large family |
were already provided fer. The grea.
west was to be developed and the Iowa
and Illinois prairies offered a farm TO
every homeseeker The opportunities
were large and matter OF course. Com
petition in all lines of endeavor was in
Its Infancy. The children placed them
selves without the years OF special
training that have grown to be the
common complement to an education.
This has been changed. The oppor-
tunities are open, but success Hes at
the end OF harder road. 1t costs more
in money. effort and watehfulness to
rear family of four today than our
grandfathers expended upon dozen,
There is jam at the gates Of oppor-
unity and the most intelligent heads
of families are sensibly inclined to limit
It's growth TO their capacities to care
for and educate. They will echo Mrs
Dennison's conservatism and insist tina
before we consider race suicide we pro-
vide for the babies already born.