Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-02-22
ANATTACKON
RACE SUICIDE
MRS. J. ELLEN FOSTER DEPLoRES
THE TENDENCY AGAINST
LARGE FAMILIES.

Newark, N. j.. Feb. 22.-Mrs. ]. Ell.
len Foster today discussed with j.
Martin Miller, Washington cores.
pendent of the Newark News, several
topics of current interest, among them
being the liberty and independence
If the American woman. The inter-
view will appear in the Newark News
tomorrow morning.
Mrs. Foster is well known as a lee.
turer, orator, lawyer. politician. relig-
Gus and temperance worker. She Is
also to the inner circle of her person.
Al friends the happy wife and mother.
as devoted to the har1nonies of the
iireside and the parlor as she Is to
the economies and theories of state
craft.
Mrs. Foster has passed her sixtieth
birthday. She has enjoyed almost un-
interrupted health during all her life,
and every day is now filled with in
tense activity. Her husband, E. G.
Foster, is lawyer in active practice,
associated with the department Of JUS.
tice, and her sons are strong men,
doing their full share of the world's
work. Mrs. Foster declares that her
nome has always been the inspiration
of her work in the world. For twen-
ty-tive years she has been almost con-
tinually before the American public
and has travelled extensively abroad.
II am panied to the heart to see
the tendency of the modern society
against the rearing of large families"
said Mrs. Foster. 1T seems to be
considered that many children are an
affliction and not a blessing. I have
experienced the vicissitudes of family
life. | know the WEAKNESS of body
and brain and the burden of heart
which the care of home and children
bring; and l know, too, the joy of 1t
all. l know the intense interest of
guiding the child mind and the sen.
sitive child heart. l know the bliss
OF mother-love. 1t ranks all other
joys which l have known.
Sorrow for Chiidiese.
Il am sorry for women who are In
constant rebellion against the claims
of motherhood. ! am sorry for the
one child or the two children who
grow up without the large circle OF
brothers and sisters. l have bourne
only four children. wish it had
been twice that number.
There is another side to this fam.
lily question which may well command
the attention of publicists. No nation
can long hold it's own in world con
tests which does not replete it's pop.
ulation in numbers as well as in quail.
ity. 1t cannot preserve it's own type
except by increase from within of its
own best specimens of the type.
Il believe from the very depths OF
my being that the American type
man and woman-is lne best type the
world knows today. ! am glad have
done little to help preserve the type
Surely an American woman who
knows how superior is her position in
the family and in society to that OF
any other woman-surely she should
be willing to give the future in pro
portion as she has received from the
past.
Rule for Home Life.
Intelligent training in the mutual
dependence and the mutual helpfulness
or happy home life Is the best DOS
sible preparation for good citizen
ship
Mrs. Foster was asked if she thought
the liberty women have in this coun
try tends to blunt their finer qualities
and sensibilities. Her answer was
most emphatic, NO"
Women as well as men sometimes
show bad taste and poor judgment in
the use of their liberty" she contin
ued. but liberty is always better than
bondage, to mere cOnventiOnalities
The eccentricities of genius in men
and in women are definitely outlined
in the light OF liberty; so also are the
weaknesses of individual character
brought into relief; but liberty does
not create genius or weakness though
it may reveal them.
Ignorance and bondage do not grow
or genius or goodness or strength OF
even beauty"