The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03
THE FEAR Or RACE SUICIDE


one or two well equipped citizens than
four or i've ignorant. unskilled labor
erss II we are to improve in quality
we must diminish the quantity.
In the largest cities landlords have a
decided prejudice against chiidrons The
problem OF finding an attractive apart
ment for q family Of three Or four chill
dren is very difficult. In New York:
City it is impossible for any but the
very rich to own their homes. and so,
parents are at the mercy OF real estate
agents. Even among people who ara
able to pay as much as S10O a month
for rent the problem OF where they can
live IS pressing one.
This diflculty OF finding suitable
home-if there are reasons why ths
family cannot move to suburb-un-
doubtediy -discourages the having OF
more than one or two children. Six.
real estate. agents. controlling mats
renting at from $50 to 500 a month";.
In locations from about Eightieth 70 =.
One Hundred and Twenty-fourth street
on the west side OF the city. practically
refused to take more than two children
and plainly showed that even they
were not desired" In downtown.
apartment houses. between Fortietb
and Tenth streets, I was repeatedly
asked, Have you any children .o1
dogs?' and informed, We never take
either"
II Is the lazy, selfish women who ffl
our apartment hotels and have no
other ambition than their own pleasure
that are the most serious menace to r
our civilization. It Is to the working
woman, in the professions or In bust
ness, that we must look for the pro-
duction OF q vigorous. ambitious race.
The idle woman Is 3 parasite
Woman More Than Female
-our problem is to SO adapt the
she may combine motherhood with in
dustTy." What Is the matter with
housework as a form OF Industry? one
naturally questions. But Mrs. Com
mander tells US that domestic life has
degenerated into a little embroidery
and fancy work" tt Is the apart
meat. with all modern conveniences,
and the factory that makes clothing
more cheaply than the housewife can
do It and the bakery and canning fac
tory and all the other modern indus.
tries that take away the absorbing du-
ties Of housekeeping our grandmot1-
ers pTacticed. The housework OF today
cannot absorb all or q woman's time
nor satisfy her higher nature.
THE highly civilized. developed. in
telligent woman reasons about cvery-
thing. including her husband and chill
dren." Maternity is not an all-satis-
flying occupation to the civilized won-
an as it is to the female animal"
Motherhood is the pighest express !.
sion Of sex. the ultimate purpose tor
which, woman. as female. exists. But
work is the highest expression or .hu-'.
manity. the ultimate purpose for which
woman, as a human creature. exists
IF she is denied motherhood. she
fails as a female. If she IS without
work. she misses her place In human
society.
''Now. It is a higher thing to express
humanity than sex. A COW, e sheep,
cat, even fish. is male or female; only
a person is human. Sex existed for
countless ages before human beings
were evolved, but more wonderful,
more precious. Is our humanity."
The small family Is advisable IN the
class OF only moderately well-to-dO
people because there Is not money
enough to equip a large family for the
struggle in our modern industrial and
business world. But what are the rea-
sons why women who can afford chill
dren have only one child or very often
have none at all7 Mrs. Commander
says: There is a stretch OF fifteen
blocks on Fifth avenue in: which there
are only fifteen children. 1t is here,
where women have. unlimited leisure
and liberty. that fewest children ara
TO be found" The testimony from
physicians whose patients are rich
and idle women IS appalling. They
do not want children because childre1
one ambition is pleasure and show"
idle women will not have children be-
cause they are too busy with their
amusements and their love affairs with .
other men, They can't be bothered
with children. and will not spoil their
figures having them" "Idleness in
women always leads. to childlessness.
DIR. George F. Shrady saws: sThe
fashionable woman OF today would.
rather have a dog than baby"
Another physician. who has had years
OF practice among the wealthy class,
says: when women have become ac-
customed to living for themselves. with
nothing to interfere with their pleas
ure. they will not endure the troubls
children bring.
II is such women as these who are
deserving OF censure; not the thrifty.
conscientious woman. whose income IS.
barely equal 20 the proper bringing up
of one child. II woman has ever
worked for her living she realizes how
difficult the fight Is in the business
world and when she marries she Is
cautious about creating another life to
enter the. struggle. But when business
women do. have children they are -ths
best Of mothers" The working woman
Is the normal type: It Is the idle
woman who is leading an unnatural
life"
"But the chief reason why women
must have work is not that they may
have money-important though that H.
They must have work because work is
a human necessity. Work alone can
save them from degeneracy.
ITO this end, that woman, married
women as well as single ones. and
mothers as we'll as the childless, may
have occupation, our social organism
must be adjusted. Whatever changes
are necessary to make this possible
will have to be made.
mo better use can be made OF na-
tional wealth than to remove children
frora~fndustry, care for them physically,
mentally and morally, and At them for
higher citizenship
Probably no worse use could bor
made OF that same wealth than to main
tain adults, either men or women. in
idleness. which is bound to Degenerate
and degrade the character.
The idle women now maintained ara
supported at the expense OF a work.
ing childhood The wealth that might
be produced by women now unemployed.
their energies going TO waste, would