South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-25

The most Improbable and aStOund-
ing. but one Of the busiest, industries
of mankind has always been the man.
ufacture Of taboos. 1t is not an in
FAINT industry of modern growth, but
one of the oldest and most childish in
the world
Since man first stood upright he has
plastered the whole face of the uni
verse with taboos Every interest and
every event of his life and fortune
has been covered with one-birthT
death. sickness, the names of his an
cestors, the names of his gods, the
names of his kings, his wife, his
mother-in-law. his children. have been
made bad form or impiOus 10 name in
public.
Birth the Great Taboo.
But there IS one subject over which
the taboo i'll hangs as black and
heavy as in the foggy dawn of civil
ization. and that is birth and its
causes Etiquette. convention. morals
ali the forces Of good society-stiH
do their best TO keen the origin OF the
human species as much Of "A mystery
as was that of animal species before
the epoch-makng work of Darwin.
The more completely we can rule
the subject out of court and prevent
its every mention i'm public the more
smugIy delighted we are. Even such
modern OF the mOderns as klpllng
naively echoes the ostrich-like salts
faction of social convention when
voicing the superior claims of the old
three-volume novel -" the stanch
three-decker" which was carrying
tired people TO the Islands of the
Blest'-over modern realism and
frankness:
we raised no risky problems,
We probed no hidden shame,
We never talked obstetrics,
When the little stranger came
OF course. the moment we cease to
mention a thing it ceases 10 eNist-dieS
OF modification and broken heart.
Whether we talk obstetrics or not, the
little stranger" did not grow on a
gooseberry bush or i'm a cabage patch.
Nor Will he grow strong ana
healthy from diseased or depraVed or
defective parents. or reach his full
stature of either mind or body under
starvation. overcrOwding or in the
factory or Sweatshop. Humanity is now
insisting upon the lifting of the last
taboo-upon letting in the light OF
science and Of reason upon the hlNs-
terry OF birth.
"Rut. challenges some one, for
what purpose?"
For the same purpose for which all
the other great forces OF nature
steam. electricity wind and wave
chemistry and physics-were lnNest-
gated. studied and mastered-for the
nurpose of controlling them for the
/ service of man.
To the further question, why not
/ leave II TO nature2 She knows best,
comes the answer at once:
/ We. ourselves with all our powers.
\ with our reason. our Intelligence our
/ sense Of justice. are part OF ha'u -, =
and certainly not the lowest part. me
question OF birth control is merely be
! tween control by higher or 10y lower
( intelligence. or by instinct.
I'm the language of an honored ana
/ lately departed eN-preSident, III Is q
/ condition. and not theory. Whlch
/ cOnfronts MS.
In a few words. this is the condi-
/ ton. Birth control. in the sense OF
/ limitation ~ the number of children
horn 10 a family. has come. and come
TO stay liz has spread all over the
civilized world. and Is penetrating into
every class and condition Of society
/ whether we approve OF u or not. we
/ might lust as well attempt 10 sweep
\ back the rising tide of the ocean with
4 Mrs. PartingtOn's broom as 20 stop
( - ,vitb arguments. or sermons. or
Iov-s The only question is whether
We will recognize II frankly and make
! the best of IT.
\ Keen it ON n rational basis and from
going TO unreasonable and Injurious
I extremes
What are the risks that are run by
i+9 We are assured at once that the
/ first is determination OF the race &c
dav of European civilization. and their
I overwhelming by floods OF Asiatlc or
| African harbarions.
/ Bcgan a Hundred Years ASo.
Here are the facts The modern
methods of birth control first began
/ 10 be publicly agitated about nun
] dred wears ago. and were widely ue-
nounccd as menacing race Nlldll'S %
/ fooet * years ago. Within that pc
{ riod the population Of the western or
/ civilized. world has increased only
I 800 per cent. and i.s wealth. more
than coo per cont No serious uah-
ser ~ racial decay visible ID that.
Within tho last 40 YEAR, the birth
rate OF civilized nations h. cteadily