Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-14
TALKS TO MOTHERS
President Roosevelt's Address
 at National Congress.
PLAIN WORDS ON RACE SUICIDE
Advice to Wives and MatrOns as to the Rearing of Their Children by Head of the State, Who Said
 Chillle essn 4aa Is. fl Crime.

Head of the State, Who Said
 Childlessness Is a Crime.
 WASHINGTON, March A. - Before the National Congress of Mothers, in session here, President Roosevelt de- livered notable address upon the duty of the woman to the state, in which he denounced race suicide" with his accustomed vigor. The presi- dent said in part:
 The welfare of the state depends ab- SOlutely upon whether or not the average family, the average man and woman and their children. represent the kind of citi- zenship fit for the foundation of a great nation, and if we fail to appreciate this we fail to appreciate the root morality upon which all healthy civilization Is based.
 Just as the happiest and most honor able and most useful task that can be set any man is to earn enough for the support of his wife and family: for the bringing up and starting in life, of his children. so the most important, the most honorable and desirable task which can be set any woman is to be good and wise mother in a home marked by self respect and mutual forbearance. by will to sink into self indulgence or avoid that which entails effort and self sacrifice.
 do not in the least believe in the pa tient Griselda type of woman. in the woman who submits to gross and long continued ill treatment any more than l believe in a man who tamely submits to wrongful aggression. No wrongdolng is so abhorrent as wrongdoing by man toward the wife and the children who should arouse every tender feeling in his nature. Selfshness toward them: lack of tenderness toward them. lack of 'consid- eration for them-above all. brutality in any form toward them-shoud arouse the heartiest scorn and indignation in every upright soul.
 self respect just as I believe in the man doing so. I believe in her rights just as much as ! believe in the mans and. in- deed, a little more. and l regard marriage in honor bound to think of the rights of the other as well as of his or her own. But think that the duties are even more important than the rights and in the long run l think that the reward is ampler and greater for duty well done than for the insistence upon individual rights. necessary though this. too, must often be. Your duty is hard. your re- sponsiblity great. but greatest of all is your reward. l do not pity you in the least. On the contrary, l feel respect and admiration for you.
 Into the woman's keeping is committed the destiny of the generations to come after us. In bringing up your children you mothers must remember that while 1t Is essential to be loving and tender it is no less essential to be wise and firm Foolishness and affection must not be treated as Interchangeable terms: and be- sides training your sons and daughters in the softer and milder virtues you must seek to give them those stern and hardy qualities which in after life they will surely need. Some children will go. wrong in spite of the best training. and some lngs are most unfortunate: nevertheless an immense amount depends upon the family training
 If you mothers through weakness bring up your sons to he selfish and to think only fef themselves aNeu will ihs iTffR9Iin sibe for much sadness among the Women who ape to be their wives in the future. If you let your daughters grow up idle, perhaps under the mistaken impression that as you yourselves have had to work hard they shall know only enjoyment you are preparing them to be useless to others and burdens to themselves. Teach boys and girls alike that they are not 10 look forward to lives spent in avoiding difficulties. but to lives spent in overcom- ing difficulties.
 Teach them that work for themselves and also for others is not d curse. but blessing: seek to make them happy, to make them enjoy life. but seek also to resolution to wrest success from labor and diversity and to do their whole duty before God and to man. Surely she who can thus train her sons and her daugh. ters is thrice fortunate among women.
 There are many good people who are denied the supreme blessing of children. and for these we have the respect and sympathy always due to those who. from no fault of their own. are denied any Of the other great blessings of life. But the man or woman who deliberately foregoes these blessings whether fNDm vicious ness. coldness. shallow heartedness. self indulgence or mere failure to appreciate alright the difference between the all i'm. portant and the unimportant-why. such d creature merits contempt as hearty as Any visited upon the soldier who runs away in battle or upon the man who re- fuses to work for the support of those de- pendent upon him and who though able bodied is vet content to eat in idleness the bread which others provide.
 I actually read not long ago in q certain paper an article in which d clergyman was quoted. seemingly with approval. as expressing the general American attitude when he said that the ambition of any save a vefy rich man should be to rear two children only. so as to give his chill dren an opportunity ito taste d few of the good things of life"
 This man. whose profession and calling should have made him moral teacher. actually set before others the ideal not of training children 10 do their duty. not of sending them forth with stout hearts and ready minds to win triumphs for themselves and their country. not of al- lowing them the opportunity and giving them the privilege of making their own place in the world but. forsooth of keep t,str sHa 1h.av af cn hat