New-York tribune., 1908-11-01
RASH ATTACK ON THE AMERICAN WOMAN

form a new snd uncongenial task-a dog IN
dance or q monkey sedulous over his sewing. on
the stage, told that these animals are sub
ject to fits of I'll temper to outbursts Of emotion,
to discomfort. that they for excitement. and
that finally they break down. II IS not discos
ing any professional condolences 70 say that synp-
toms of a somewhat similar nature have been OBJ
served in the case OF the American woman as
result of ner performance
Reduced by a power not her own to a condition
OF idleness. her case is a most unhappy one, and
her manifold activities in the street. in places OF
entertainment, and finally in the divorce court. are
merely blind strivings to free herself from an in
toerable ennui. Her life is of rivalry for ap-
pearance and position. The struggle exhausts her
energy and all other means at her disposal. Her
mind becomes warped and he- ambition distorted
Eternal resessness Is her portion, dislike of
discipline. n hatred Of law save that which her
whm. viii desire imposes To impose this
law upon others becomes her constant ocCupa ton
And there women who propose 10 add
these burdens the additional obligation Of cast
ing the ballot and engaging in public life
There yet remains function which IS in the
exclusive possession OF the woman. and no means
have been discovered up to the present time by
which II be better performed; that is. the
part which she plays in the propagation OF the
species Deprived Of this for existence. the
female of the human becomes entirely a para
site. And yet in respect Of this remaining function
there is some evidence that the American woman
is not doing her best. that she is following the
example of that improbable servant who wrapped
up his talent in napkin 1t is quite possible
that this indispositlon TO exercise natural func-
ton is due recalcitrancy, but to an Instinct
that the species is not worth reproducing BY a
purely mental process woman might arrive at the
conclusion that this human race IS not worth
propagating and there is some ground for that
view of the case. But she should remain true to
the austeriy OF this doctrine, and vitiaJe the
Intellectual independence OF which she boasts by
involving herself in social conditions The time
for proclaimng ones freedom IS before. not after.
one has consented TO eat the bread of another
But the plea which the American woman" puts
: forward is the less cynical that the quality
of offspring is important than quantity. This
l believe, is a favOrte subject of discussion at
those assemblages OF women which with some de-
gree of incongruity styled mothers meetin gs.
At one of these meetings inquiry showed that the
/ technical motherhood estimated in terms of of
! spring amounted to 81 per cent. An examination
of this defence Of quality against quantity involves
| the assumption that it is worth considering the
opinion OF persons who know nothing Of the matter
/ In hand and the further assumption that mother
hood is conferred by the act Of attendance az
these meetings. The plea Is falIaciOus. Tor II IS
law OF life discovered by experience that Individual
/ degeneration Of the offspring accompanies nuner-
/ teal diminution But who would not object
much 10 the sudden extinction Of the race might
we'll deplore long graduation of decay.
| There is a profound scientific refutation Of this
| falacy that quality may be obtained at the expense
| or quantity professor Kari Pearson has shown
from his Investigations into the Inheritance OF tt
! berculosis that the earlier members OF a large
! family more apt To inherit disease than those
who are born later. and that therefore the unta-
ton of families TO two children which now appears
TO be the desirable number. is increasing the per
centage or persons with weak constitutions This Is
Natures method OF dealing with the fictitious law
! Of primo8eniture Human ingenuity is pOwereSs
in face OF the mysterious laws by which reproduc
tion is governed, and created beings invariably gel
the worst OF it when they set themselves in oppo
| Stion 20 those laws
An instinct fails when it ceases To be exercised
The instinct of propasating the species Is ex
eeption 10 this law, and in time the female OF thi
type will beceme sexesS in all but form. which
firmly fixed that may not expect an.
fundamental alteration And set variation Il
I type is appearing. The American woman Tetlin
her girlhood until comparatively late In life. an
then suddenly, to her grief and rage. falls into