The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1905-08-29
THE AMERICAN BIKrH-RArE.
(oregonian.)

D..
We have had it, over and over, that
in our country, the birth-rate from
mothers of American nativity is small
and growing smaller, in comparison
with the birth-rate of mothers Of for
eign nativity. It scarcely needed the
details furnished by the census re-
ports to show US that. It is fact,
apparent to every observer. Children
are born, in greatest numbers, of par
ents who are poor, who have no pros
poets or expectations, who accept
humblest ways Of living, and who do
not expect to better them. Foreign
immigrants are largely, but by no
means wholly, Of this class. Our
own people, in pioneer days, belong
ed to it. Many do yet. As rule,
large families belong to those who are
content with a low grade Of living,
and who do not expect to improve it.
It is an enigma, a paradox. For
if the human race could raise all its
members above the conditions and re-
quirements of lowly life, its own de-
cline would begin at once. The
whole basis of progress is in those
who work on the lower levels. These
continually supply the materials for
new advancement. High culture"
continually ''runs out" From one
or two children in the family, it will
descend to none. Thus, the race must
be recruited continually from the low
er classes.
The human race, then, In trying to
improve itself, steadily exhausts it
self, and is forced to begin anew.
This process is going ON through all
times, and has been going on since the
beginning of history and civilization.
France is the highest present exemplar
of the prudential or small family sys-
tenn; and France, great as she has
been in history, great part as she has
borne in spreading the ideas and arts
of modern civilization, now stands
still. Under her present sociological
system France can proceed no further.
She has reached the limit. We shall
reach ours, so soon as the idea shall
become general among us that fami-
lies must be restricted in order that
the standard of living may be main
tanned. For such an idea will surely
defeat its own object.
The "best families, devoted to
this idea, steadily commit suicide.
They have few descendants, or none,
and leave the world to rude yet
vigorous proletariate-hungry yet
ambitious. Yet this is the way the
world goes ON, and the way democ-
racy steadily makes its gains over
privilege, Iplutocracy and oligarcy.
The "better classes" then, through
the very methods they employ for
their preservation. tend continually
toward extinction, or contribute to
their own supersedure by the proleta
riate. Increasing luxury, late mar
riage, or few or none. the notion that
it is imprudent or vulgar to have
children, take the future out of the
hands Of the 'sflrst families" and pass
it ON to the common herd" The
selfishness that refuses to be "tronb-
led with children" and sends young
married couples to boarding houses,
will be revenged through the extinc-
ton of those families who think
themselves above the common rab-
BILE"
And it is we'll. 1t is the way. and
the only way--throngh operation Of
nature--to reduce calculated selfish
ness and insnfferable insolence to the
extinction they deserve. It is the way
human society gets on.