The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-03-14
President Roosevelt Gives His
Opinion to Mothers Congress.
HOME BASIS OF The NATION
Hs Referred 10 CIsrgymans Statement That
Two Children Is Enough for Any Family
as Unpleasant"

Washington. March IA. President
Roosevelt last night delivered char
acterstic speech 10 the Mothers congress
and a large audience that packed the
Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal church.
The president was I'm happy mood and
ne made IT plain 20 his auditors that
he felt in such an atmosphere. Mr..
Roosevelt was presented to the congress
by Mrs. schsn, the president OF the
congress.
"It was the Mothers congress that first
nominated Mr.. Roosevelt for the prest-
dency" said Mrs Schaf. 1T was when
we held our meeting in Albany while he
was governor. We saw his lovely chill
dren there and decided then that he
would have 10 be the president OF the
United States"
The president began his address by
bowling 10 Mrs. Schan and saying laugh
ingly
Tho father OF six greets the mother OF
seven" The president then said he had
them of all sizes and agee. IF anyone
will call the age l will produce the child, "
he said.
At one stage in his address he smiingly
referred 70 his race suicide doctrine. He
touched on the recent declaration OF a
clergyman that family should consist
OF no more than two children i'm order
thst' parents might have the time for
the good things OF life Turning 70 the
handful Of cergymen on the stage, he
said II regret 10 say that that sug-
gestion came from a pres cher OF the
gospel"
The president was royalty received by
the large audience
GOOD WIFE AND MOTHER.
But far moro important than the ques-
tion OF the occupation OF our citizens is
the question OF how their family life is
conducted No matter what that occupa-
tion may be. as long as there is real
home and as long as those who make UP
that home do their duty 10 one another.
10 their neighbors and TO the state IL
Is OF minor consequence whether the
mans trade Is piled In the country or the
city. whether II calls for the work ot the
hands or FOR the work OF the head.
But the nation is in a bad way II
there is no real home. n the family Is
not OF the right kind: If the man is not
. good husband and father. II he is
brutal or cowardly or selfish: II the
woman has lost her sense OF duty. IL she
is sunk In vapid self-indulgence or has
let her nature he twisted SO that she pre-
fers sterile pseudo-intellectuality TO
that great and beautiful development OF
character which comes only 10 those
whose lives know the ftfllness OF duty
done. Of effort made and seif-sacriiice
undergone.
No piled-up wealth, no splendor OF ma
terial growth. no brlliance OF artistic
development. will permanently avail any
people unless ts home life is healthy
unless the average man possesses hon
esty. courage, common sense and decency,
unless he works hard and IS willing al
need 10 fight hard; and unless the
average woman is a good wife a good
mother. able and willing ~ perform the
first and greatest duty o. womanhood.
able and willing 10 bear, and 20 bring
up az they should be brought up healthy
children. sound in body. in mind and
character, and numerous enough so that
the race shall increase and not decrease.
THE HOME MAKER
The woman who is good wife a good
mother is entitled 10 our respect AZ Is
no one else; but she is entitled 70 Il only
because and so long as, she is worthy Of
it Effort and self-sacrifce are the law
Of worthy life for the nasn as for the
woman though neither the effort nor
the self sacrifice may be the same for
the one as for the other
7 do not in the least believe in the
patient Griselda type of woman, in the
continued il-treatment. any more than
I believe in a man who tamely submits
20 wrongful aggression. No wrongdong
IS so abhorrent as wronedoing by a ma
toward the wife and the children who
should arouse every tender feeling in ais
nature. Selhshness toward them. lack ot
tenderness toward them. lack of consid-
era ton for them, above all brutality IN
any form toward them should arouse the
hesrtiest scorn and Indignation in every
upright soul
There are certain old truths which
will be true as long as this world en-
dures. and which no amount of progress
can alter. One OF these is the truth that
the primary duty OF the husband is To
he the home maker. the bread winner lor
his wife and children, and that the pri-
mary duty OF the woman is TO be the
helpmeet the housewife and mother.
woMAN's DUTIES.
The woman should have ample educa -
tIonal advantages; but save I'm exceptional
O. ses the man must be- and she need
not be- and generally ought not 10 be-
trained for lifelong career as the family
bread winner; and therefore. after cer-
tain point the training Of the two must
normally be different. because the duties
of the two are normally different This
does not mean inequality Of function. but
81 does mean that normally there must
be dissimlarliy of function. on the whole
think the duty Of the woman the more
important the more difficult and the
more honorable of the two; on the whole
! respect the woman who does her duty
even more than respect the man who
does his.
No ordinary work done BY a. man ~
either as hard or as responsible az the
work OF a woman who Is bringing up
family OF small children: for upon her
tlrro and strength demands are made not
Gnly every hour Of the day but often
every hour of the right
She may have 90 get up night after
nisht to take care OF \ sick child. and Yet
must by day continue 10 do all her house