The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-08-03

great many pSOple nave udO UuOIl
say since the Bishop of Ripon called
public attention TO the falling birth
rate. In correspondence, interviews
sermons and speeches the case has
been considered from the wholly rellg-
ious, the abstract moral and the ma
tional point of view, says B. Fletcher
Robinson, literary partner OF Conan
DOYLE. In the New York American.
1t is interesting to note the concIu'
sion at which these special pleaders
have arrived.
The falling birth rate has been a
subject that for the last few years has
peeped out in correspondence columns
and in the pages of the more serious
reviews. But the British public shut
their eyes. 1t was not pleasant top
ic; also it had been the basis of many
gibes at out French neighbors. The
stationary population across the chan
mel has indeed long been denounced as
proof of degeneration and national
decay Analogies have been sought
in the fall of the Roman Empire and
the decadence of Athens. The public
were rather pleased than otherwise,
humping their British chests and
congratulating themselves that they
were not as other men are.
But now that similar charges are be-
ing proved against British husbands
and wives it is different matter; one
indeed that arouses serious alarm
among all thing men.
The evil is not confined to one class.
That fact is proved by statistics. The
aristocracy are ia the same boat with
the agricultural laborers; the profes-
sional classes and the sskilled artisans
are both equally at fault Why?
In the first place, there seems to
have arisen the conviction that the
supply of human beings was exceed
ing the demand. Parents in poor cir
cumstances did not appreciate the ex-
pense of raising families to populate
America and the colonies. Trade did
not improve, competition was growing
keener every year in the country and
inhabitants we're moving TO the towns
under the curse of agricultural de-
preston. The outlook for the head OF
a large family was not encouraging.
But perhaps more important still Is
the increased luxury of the nation.
With luxury comes dissatisfaction, the
envy of others, the creation OF selfish
ness. If we had no children we might
have piano in the cottage. If it was
not for these bills of Jack at Oxford
we might keep a carriage. That is the
point of view.
In the old days the nation learned
it's catechism and followed that teach
ing. To "Iearn and labor truly to do
my duty IN that state of life unto
which it has pleased God to call me"
was an accepted principle of life. They
even passed their sumptuary laws reg
ulating the style of dress according to
the purse of each class, and when pup
lie sentiment abolished such grand
notherly legislation the people still
clad themselves in a manner suitable
to their station"
We have changed all that. The la
bOrer must have his black coat and
tweed trousers for Sundays, and the
old smock frock has long vanished into
the limbo of mere curiosities. The
wife of the professional man must have
her furs and frocks from the same eX-
pensive establishment as the duchess.
There Is ceaseless, never ending
struggle to rise in society whose DEL
tv is gold and whose worship is lavish
display. 1t may create acuteness, am
bition and hard work, but it does not
increase the population.
The fashionable wife-well educated,
ACCOMPLISHED and admirably dressed,
as the dear lady may be-has left the
silly Anticipated ideas OF her grand
mother far behind her. She will tell
you so quite frankly if you ask her.
Society is such hard master that she
absolutely has no time for anything.
Indeed, her labors are so incessant
that they awake feelings of pity in the
most hardened bachelor. 1t is, OF