The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-12-30
BIRTH CONTROL DECLARED IMMORAL

not good form! Experience and
statistics show that the practice of
these methods is most prevalent and
marked in the more prosperous
classes.
Vital statistics of New York show
that in certain average areas the
birth rate of the poor working quar-
ters was nine times that of the we'll
to-do avenues.
Declining Birth Rate.
England and Wales with birth
rate. from $4,000 that may be re-
garded as stationary at about 35 per
1000 population, have declined by ap.
proximately one-third to about 1913
per 1000.
France is down to 1877 per thousand
and Germany to 2S.2.
Would not common knowledge of
unlawful methods cut down the num-
ber of marriages tremendously and
produce freelove status more danger
Gus to the State than the troubles of
the poor?
No wonder free-lovers advocate
birth control.
Is our country overpopulated or in
danger?
We need not refer to the awful
devastation of human life by war
since the days of Malthus and more.
than ever today, nor invoke the woeful
prophecy of possible war in this re-
public, to reach the conclusion that
the world is not overcrowded.
Fears Are Unfounded.
Economists are about agreed that in
a country of our vast and varied re-
sources and open to commercial inter
course with the world, the fears of
Malthus need not bother us and are
utterly untenable.
Present-day conditions in this coun.
try tell of scarcity of labor and there
are those who predict labor famine
when the European war is over.
Besides the English commission
above referred to, parliamentary
committee has been appointed In.
France under M. Ribot to study the
question of birth-decline. wonder if
the French committee will recon-
mend birth prevention to save the
country!
1t is always interesting to know the
opinion of great moSal leaders on
Questions of this kind ssas s56....-..-s
The position Of the Catholic Church
is unchanged, plain and ineligible.
She forbids methods of prevention. j
need not quote authorities as the
Church is one, Catholic, universal, and
from Pope to humblest peasant, all are
bound by the same doctrine.
DemoraIizing to Race.
The Lambeth conference of Protes.
tant bishops adopted the following re-
solution in 1908:
The conference regards with alarm
the growing practice of the artificial
restriction Of the family and earnest
| ly calls upon all Christian people to
| discountenance the use of all arti-
fetal means of restriction as demoral
izing to character and hostile to
national welfare.
DR.. Amand Routh, M. D., London,
consulting obstetric physician to
Charing Cross Hospital, London, says:
| have no doubt that prevention of
maternity by artificial methods IN
variably produces physical. mental
and think moral harm to those who
resort to ito one, or probably to
both.
The Very Rev., the Chief Rabbi, DR.
]. H. Hertz of London, says:
In the light of Jewish experience
poverty can on no account justify
race-suicide. Overwhelming evidence
in the contrary direction abounds in
the annals of every virile people
Some of the best and greatest mer
have come from poor and prolific Jew
ish homes. Many difficulties can be
overcome by State endowment, etc
j The resources of civilization
have certainly not yet been exhausted
in the endeavor to avoid the penaliza
! tion of parenthood.
Continued on page s1