New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-01
NOT RACE SUICIDE
Birth Control Would Mean Failure
to Bear Unwanted Children.

To the Editor Of Tho Tribune.
Sir: At last the subject of birth control
is 20 be discussed. Let us meet II with hope
and enthusiasm. Most OF the misery, poverty,
hopelessness. much Of the disease In this
family than can be cared for. All the Com
stocks, Dodges and Strachans in the world
won't stop the movement. Never yet through
out history has any movement toward the
bstterment and uplift Of humanity been per-
manently thwarted. Reform always has had
opposition, but always wins out at last
No boy or girl should enter marriage with
out the knowledge which will make fewer and
better children. The desire for children Is
normal and healthy. The exceptional man or
woman does not want children. The deter
ring element to having them is almost always
the lack of means Of support. No child
should be born that Is not wanted. There
never should be children bonn who have not
a chance at being properly reared" who
have no chance of health and happiness.
"Are we TO have homes or brothelsT We
have them both; we hope to have less of the
latter. Fewer children, better training, more
self control, single standard of morals, high
er ideals make less brothels-better homes.
as all decency to be done away with?' /
suppose this refers to discussing a subject
which interests all womankind, the discus
sion Of a problem which may bring more
knowledge, more cheer, less hopelessness to
those who are not blessed from birth with
the better things and higher opportunities
of life.
"By what right does any group of people
20 against the laws OF God?" How much
evil we put upon God. II God instituted laws
OF nature he certainly expected man to regu-
late them for his higher wefare-or why
did he give him brains! There are $4,000
feeble minded in the State of New York, and
these are only those who come to the atten-
ton of social clinics and mental clearing
houses Are we to take no steps to remedy
this evil? Is there to be no birth control !?
as the womanhood Of our country to be
dragged into the dust?" Please go down
into the more congested districts q. New
York and see the women dragging Them
selves in the dust to earn bread and butter
for the too many little ones forced upon
them.
"Are men and women TO practise no self
control?" As long as they do not we must
face the fact and save the coming generation
from disease as a result of inadequate care
.during childhood, due TO overtaxed maternity
under bad conditions. What the "semblance
Of decency" refers to is an enigma. II these
are Gods or Natures laws, how can discuss
ing thinking, learning more about anything
belonging to God or Nature be indecent?
Ouacks and charlatans already spread in
iurious information: abortions are frequent
not only among the poor but prevalent
among the rich. Any sane, healthful way OF
birth control and the spread Of the same VIII
do away, let us hope, with the present per-
verted, hidden methods.
Cant poor people learn self-control"
Not any more than the rich. They are
human, and with the many children thrust
into home where the ordinary provisions TO
still hunger and keep out cold take up all
the time, what time or money IS ieft TOT IN
stilling into the children those ldeais WHICH
make for self-control?
II better and fewer children, more en-
lIicbtened people, a nation of higher ideals
result in race suicide. by all means let us
have race suicide However the race sui
eide scare is unfounded. Let there be large
families by all means, if the parents can
sunport them in sanity and health. The CON
ditions Of life into which most mothers OF
the moor bring q teeming family seem to be
]
field utterly unexplored by opponents of
birth control.
There is no subject on Gods earth that
should not impersonally be discussed by IN
to,Iioont men and women enlightened on the
eubiect and bringing to it a hope for better
conditions and higher ideals. Those who are
uniformed, who cannot approach the vital
subjects of life openly, fearlessly, sanely'
without prudery, false delicacy and narrow
prejudice in spite of having attained the
full stature Of woman and manhood, should
refrain from discussion-they infict too
much pain upon themselves and others.
MAY God forgive US for the evils we SO
easlly nut upon Him; may He help US TO un-
dergtand His laws better, and then better and
more nobly adapt them to our own needs
And for all those who oppose every noble
fort for the uplift Of humanity let us say
With that noblest Reformer in history: For
give them, they know not what they do
New York, May "a, 1915. A. A. NJ