Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-05-09

The president hes inausd ancthl
race suicide letter. This Is in answl
to an article In the Review OF Review
for April by DR.. J. J. Cronin Of Ne
York In which he tells of deiectit
children IN New Yofk schools. b
shows that over 90 per cent Of Ii
fchildren IN the city schools hay
physical imperiectiohs and that 3
u The tnOral obfquity manifesto
comes from these physically dsiectiv
youth. He says: v
"The question as to the mainten
ance Of the school child in pertec
health Is Of such overweening i'm
portance that the problem Of race
suicide over which 50 many well
washers Of the race have grown
hysterically enthusiastic, is Of little
consequence in comparison. The
race suicide idea Is based upon the
assumption that the average Ameri-
can family should have a rger mum.
Der Of healthy children than the pres
emit birthrate shows, IAN assumption
clearly erroneous. As q matter Of
fact, physical defects 60 hand in hand
with q large number Of children, both
In the rich and in the poor. The poor
are more prolific than tho rich and
the number Of children In a family by
actual count increases as the poverty
Of the family becomes more poig-
pant. A very little study Of sociolo-
81 will convince the sdvoeates Of the
race suicide idea that few perfect
children are far better for the nation
md the family than DOZEN unkempt
iegenerates, who add pathoes to the
'truggle for existence, and who sink
lnder the inflexible law Of Ethe sur
'ival Of the fittest.
1.-The health Of the school child will |
letermine the very warp and wool Of
he nations future, and the lessons
aught us by the physically defective
hild should be needed by every man
nd woman who has the future OF our
Iepublic at heart.
"Wbile these notifications are pure
advisory, and no compulsion Eis at
Ached to the matter, the authority of
he department Of health is such that
wv parents of intelligence neglect the
'arning. In the great majority Of
the advice OF the school
MUSICIAN is followed at once. OF
purse, there are always some people
no raise the cry Of 'paternalism,
nd who object to any interference in
leir private affairs by officials of
le city. Such people insist upon
leir alleged inalienable right under
le constitution Of the United States
have diseased or weak-minded chill ,
'en and to allow them to grow up as
Elective citizens. The same hue and
y was raised, 1t will be remembered,
len compulsory education was first
'cussed in this country. Compul- :
~ care for the child's health is Just !
necessary as compulsory school at =
ldance." +
President Roosevelt protests in q
ter to the magazine and says:
The greatest problem Of civilian HI
n is to be found in the fact that the q
ll-to-do families tend to die out. =.
're results in consequence tend -
y to the elimination, instead Of the IN
vival Of the fittest and the moral az
tude which helps on this tendency "a
81 course, strengthened when it 10 Y
logized for and praised in a mags- os
} like yours. 81 81
Our people could still exist under
kinds Of iniquities in government; =
or a debased currency; under off,
corruption, under the rule Of
alistic proletariat, or a wealthy
archy. All these things would be
for us, but the country would
exist. But it could not continue
xisti II it paid heed to the expressed
implied teachings Of such articles
his.n
'hich is right on this PropositionP