The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-12
KANSAS COMAENT

THE RIGHT TO BE WELL BORN.
Of all de rees of Fate that of birth
appears to be the most cruel because
the most inexorable. Frequently, there
is nothing to be done about it, A man
is born with a black skin. with an
ugly face, with a distorted form, or he
IS born to poverty, ignorance or crime.
He is handicapped from the start. He
simply has no chance TO- preferment,
often none for material success, and,
in thousands If not millions of cases,
no chance to improve himself mental
ly or morally.
Did you ever think of the danger
that lies in the fate of birth? We do
but the danger to the state, to society?
Don't you see that if by progressive
ratio we went on indefinitely allowing
people to be born undo r circumstances
unfavOrable to health, to character
even to physical beauty, that we would
be plunged into a degree of racial de-
generacy that, in time, would destroy
civilization?
And by the same token. don't you
see that some day We may be COM
PEELED for the sake of humanity and
its future, to guarantee to every hu-
man being the right of good birth?
"A big job!a you exclaim. Yes, in
deed, very big job, but if the fate of
birth involves the fate of the race,
then We must master it, which means
that we must have such arrangeme nts
that every child shall come into
world of plenty. Plenty of what =?
Plenty of all that makes for comfort,
character, health and enlightenment.
Did you ever see anything more pa
thetic than sweet child born to mis-
cry and condemned to privation and
probable vice through no fault of its
own? 1t is a crime. But whose
crime? And who shall set it right, not
for this child-for him the die is cast
but for all the billions of sweet chill
dren yet unborn wichita Beacon.
A MUSHY BLOW
In the Wiley case the president seems
to have delivered a mushy blow Hs
retired solicitor McCabe from the board
upon which Dr.. Wiley serves. But A5c-
Cabe was not discharged from the de-
partment.
Government officials eeclare the Wiley
case is as live an issue as ever. AID
that there will be no peace in the de-
partment of agriculture so long as So
icitor George j. McCabe holds his job.
He is left in position where he can
continue his warfare against d.. VII
ley If he is disposed. All rulings mads
by the Wiley-Doolittle board will be
subject to approval by the secretary
or agriculture, who, on questions OF
law. will be guided by his legal adj
wiser, Solicitor McCabe.
1t is we'll known of course that
the relations between Messrs Wiley
and Mc-abe are such that it is i'm
possible for them to live in pea e.
They represent opposing schools of
thought in the matter of pure food
DR.. Wiley is a strict constructionist;
Mr.. McCabe is a loose constructions :.
There is good reason to believe that
the president plans to take drastic ae
ton to restore order in the pure food
branch of the department.
But he has not taken it. He has
delivered a mushy blow-merely max
ing the other fellow mad. without
knocking him out. The mushy blow
habit is the presidents chief weakness.
He is a charming, good-natured. easy
going, kind-hearted man who is eternal
ly cutting the dogs tail of trouble off
an inch at d tinle-to save the dog ;
feelings.-Emporia Gazette