The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-27
GIBBONS TALKS
 ON MOTHERHOOD
The Cardinal Discusses Great
 Crime of Race Suicide
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Says Thought of Women Smoking in Public Is Too Disgusting for Con- slderation-High Ideal of
 Womanhood.

New York. January Especial 1.-The World this morning prints the following interview with Cardinal Gibbons in Bal timore on the subject of@the duties of motherhood:
 Any woman who instruets her neighbor or friend who is wife how to avoid the responsibilities of motherhood is taking as great responsibility and committing as deadly sin as if she became the &C., complice of murderess. In fact, this sort of thing is murder of the most cow ardly kind
 NO doubt many women thoughtlessly discuss this subject with one another. It is not unusual, in all probability, for older women to advise their younger sisters who are about to assume the relations of wifehood, to not bring children into the world for few years, but to fhave a good time and travel.' This instruction has been given the young wife probably without the knowledge of the husband.
 Such wife will in time inevitably de- stroy her own happiness as well as that or her husband She may think she is enjoying herself during the excitement of certain indiscretions and disspations that seem to fascinate some of the American women within recent years, but the really good time will never come to a wife who establishes herself among this class of women and their masculine associates.
 Physicians and druggists of character are useful citizens, but it is only those without consciences who become the &C., of fbof determined to defeat the law of nature and the will of God. There are laws in the several states, I understand,s prohibit- ing the sale af articles of prevention that are deadly alike to the moral as we'll as to the physical health of both men and women. These laws are not enforced
 Greater Than Drink Habit.
 "The social evil q use the term in a more general sense than it is usually applied) is a far greater evil in this coun- try than the drinking habit. It is true that the lower forms of the social evil and intemperanoe in drinking are allied evils they go hand in hand. The social evil, in all its phases, is such a delicate subject to handle that it seems impossible to educate the people toward righteous living in this regard.
 We can educate regarding tuberculosis and alcoholism, but the people are latent upon this most all-important question now confronting them than ever before. The very existence of the nation depends upon the personal conduct of each man and each woman Both have responsibilities that neither can shirk, There is no in- fiuenee among mortals so powerful for good or evil as the relations between the sexes"
 Does the Catholic church, through the priesthood, instruct men and women that 1t is their duty to rear families, your emlnence?" the cardinal was asked
 All Catholics are taught in many ways that this is their duty. No woman who attempts to foil the law of nature and of God can be given absolution in the con fessional If any man or woman is re- sponsible in any degree for the sin that leads to what we commonly call race sui eide they could not avail themselves of the confessional.
 Confession is one of three acts of the penitent t-contriton, confession and satis- faction. The sinner is required to confess each and every mortal sin. in thought, word and deed. To conceal one vitiates
 
 structed upon this delicate subject; they can be saved only by faith in God, which implies willingness to be guided by Him and His laws"
 Women Smoking.
 Your eminence, what do you think of the city ordinance New York has recently passed prohibiting women from smoking?'
 'The thought is too disgusting to dis cuss," answered the cardinal. Continuing, his eminence said
 Woman is the pattern of virtue alike to maiden, wife and mother She exhibits the virgin modesty becoming the maid, the conjugal fidelity and loyalty of the wife and the untiring deyotedness of the mother e
 "The Christian woman is everywhere confronted by her great model. Marys portrait gazes down upon her from the wall. Her name is repeated in the pages of the book before her. Her eulogy is de- lisered from the pulpit, This is all stamped indeibly upon the intellect. the heart and character
 'The influence of Mary. therefore, in the moral elevation of women can hardly be overestimated. She is the perfect com bination of all that is great and good and noble in womanhood with no alloy or deg radiation.
 Tn her we find force of will without pride or imperiousness. We find In her moral strength and heroism, without the sacrifice of feminine grace and honor,
 Now we hear of daughters of some of our country's best men not. indeed, im- itating Dr. Mary Walkers exceptional at- tire, but mounting the rostrum te ha- rangue audiences. Is it any wonder that feeling of sadness creeps over one that such things should be?
 ITO debar woman from such pursuits is not to degrade her. To restrict her field of action to the general vacations of life is not to fetter her. And it is on the contrary to secure to her not equal rights so-called. but those supereminent rights that cannot fail to endow her with sacred and proper sphere. She must not be surprised to find the reverence &C., corded her is in part or whole with drawn"
 Doctors Call on Pope.
 Rome, January 26.-Although the Pope