Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-15
HIS VIEWS CHALLENGED
THE PRESIDENTS RACE SUICIDE
THEORY UNDER DISCUSSION.
World Needs Quality, Rather Than
Quantity, Urges One Of
His Critics.

President Roosevelts address before the
national congress of mothers has aroused a
wide range of discussion, his remarks on
what has come TO be distinctly known as
race suicide especially exciting comment,
Not all who speak write on the subject
are in accord with. he President, as the fol-
lowing letter, which has been received by
The Star, clearly attests:
1T is a curious idea the President has
that quantity makes merit. The best
thought of the world through ages has been
quality, not quantity. Yet, In all the Presi-
dent says and writes about family life his
idea seems to be that simply to reproduce
ones kind and bring into being numerous
offspring is the supreme merit. If this
We're so man would have to yield the palm
to lower orders of creation. A hundred
years ago, when life a simple, uncom-
plicated thing compared to today, when not
only the needs, but the desires of children
were as one to hundred of those at press
ent, woman could have big family and
have tine to do her duty by each child; but
no woman nowadays do her duty to
herself and also to family of old-tme pro-
portions She may have the best will in
the world, but the thing cannot be done--
no. not even If the financial strain of linn.
tied means Ga strain which the President,
blessed with a comfortable inheritance, has
never had to know is eliminated.
No Lack Of Children.
1.-THE world is not suffering from the lack
of children; 1t is crammed full of the VIC
TINS of the unlimited production theory,
and charitable men and women and the
state are compelled to put forth strenuous
efforts that these poor victims may have a
chance to develop into something that their
heredity and natural environment have de-
ned them. This class gives an effectuaI
answer to the plea for quantity alone.
When children brought into the world
by persons who have sufficient reason NOR
ally, mentally, physically and financially
Tor becoming parents, and who have sense
OF Justice and self respect enough not to
have more children than their resources
warrant, the state might indeed hope to be
benefited by such accretion, but not other
wise. q-v- -.
THE President sees only two classes of
people who do not have childreh1either
those who cannot or those who for selfish
reasons will not. He apparently has never
heard that there are, for instance people
In the world who have no children of their
own because their lives must be spent taxi
ing the responsibilities that other people
careleSsly assumed in having children
spending their time and money at the ex-
peLSe OF their own personal advancement,
giving up even the security of provision for
old age in order to do this There are
many such.
Would the apostles Of unlimited repro.
duction advise that such people should also
have large families of their own?
Mormonism.
1.-THE legitimate outcome of the unlimited
reproduction theory is certainly the Mormon
system-a system scarcely likely to find fa-
vor at the present juncture.
Robert Grants Selma is quoted by the
President typical of the childless woman.
She is no more a type of any reality than
Frankenstein. She is an absurd abnormal-
ity, a collection of abominable traits thrown
together by the clever author, who probably
never deceived himself into thinking that
just such combination ever existed
1T Is quite possible for a woman not to
have children from the highest, most un.
selfish motives; the most maternal souls are
often those who can call no children their
own. This the President does not seem to
know. In his classification the woman who
is childless, save for steriIity, would seem to
rank with the criminal / do not believe
there are many who agree with him.