New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-21
archaic" Laws Designed to Prevent
Race Suicide Promote Race Degem-
eracy, Say Prominent Physicians,
Mem and Women-Free kmovvl-
edge Imperative for Poor.

l. may be q blow TO the patriotic
pride of some people for Dr.. jacob,
who is to preside at the meeting, TO say
that America is always behind the
times in such matters Yet that is
just what he does say.
an Europe" said DR.. Jacob in an
swer to a request for an Interview on
birth control, prevention Of concep-
tioa is a matter of public discussion.
Here. if doctor gives advice on this
matter 10 some poor devil who comes
to him. he can be arrested and i'm
pr soned
Just now there is a case pending in
this city in which interest should be
aroused. A man By the name Of San
ger was approached by another man
who asked him for pamphlet on birth
control which Sanger's wife had writ
ten. Mr.. Sanger had TO hunt around in
the apartment TO find one, but at last
he lid find one and was persuaded TO
give it 20 the man. That man was Il
spy and later Mr.. Sanger was arrested.
lie is now under indictment. Do you
wo4dcr that say the present law is a
scandal and disgrace?
"When hear people saying that the
repeal OF this law would countcnance
immortality I want to say in answer
that it is truly immoral not 70 give this
much needed information to men and
women. The rich and wellto do classes
have information b. which they limit
their families. Ii is the poor people
who are denied this. SO it is that the
very families which can afford to have
only small families have the largest
ones. OF course many OF them die
they are predestined TO die. A state
of affairs which makes it inevitable
that children shall be brought into the
world only to die is real immortality
Miss Lavinia Dock. suffragist and
secretary of the international Council
of Nurses, speaks from the experience
of almost twenty-five years as nurse.
1t is in the poorest parts OF New YORK
and Chicago that she has nursed, and
the things she has seen in the homes
OF the poor have made her feel very
keenly on the necessity of free knowl-
edge in regard to birth control.
an Holland the government dissent
mates information on birth control
said Miss Dock. "The stamina of the
Dutch, their industry and prosperity
should be sufficient answer to those
who oppose changing the law on pre-
veation Of conception. It is ridiculous
TO say that if the fear of pregnancy
were removed men and women would
be grossly immoral. Arc the people OF
Holland any more immoral than the
people of America? Has the fear OF
pregnancy made immoral people moral
II never has and il never VIII.
This is reform tor which all men
and women should work, but ] feel It
should originate in the medical profes-
sion. That is why the meeting next
week should be OF such Importance
with so many physicians OF note COM
ing out into the open and stating the
faith that is in them.
"O.f course physicians DO give lntor-
nation to their patients. That is Why
the rich and wel!-to-do have been able
to limit their families to the number
Of children desired. But poor people
don't have family physicians. They
have a doctor from a dispensary. one
time they have ono stranger and an
other time another. 1t is Impossible,
on such 6 basis, to have that feeling Of
friendliness and even intimacy when
family has with its own physician. nat
is why hope in addition to having
the law changed so that reputable doc
tors may give information to their