Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-07-04
NO RIGHT TO RE BORN.

NO RIGHT TO RE BORN.
II was Mr.. Roosevelt who glorified
the raising OF large families. yet OF
course even no was convinced that
parents owed IT as o duty to thoir off
spring to not attempt to make the
number so largo that the children
were denied fair chance IN tho bat
tie of life. The Roosevelt idea was
more protest against the prevalent
disinclination of the rich and leisure
ly classes to fulfil their duty to tho
race The poor man has never been
accused OF tending TO race suicide.
The paradoxical result OF this topy-
turvy condition Is that those who
had TO fight for bread and clothing
left with tho major burden OF porpet-
uRting the race while those who were
hlentifully able to bring children into
Inc world were negligent OF their
duty, prcfcrring rather 10 frttcr away
existence in purposelcss round Of So
called pleasure. Millions Of children
have thus been denied the God-plyon
right to develop the best there was In
them, not because OF their parents
fault but because those who could
give the coming generation the best
Of advantages for start in life were
TOO selfish to perform their duty to
the state and 10 humanity. leaving the
deficit to be made up by those who
found difficulty IN feeding and edu-
eating the future citizens of the re-
public. That is why It has become
proyerhal that large families went
along with poverty. not because the
poor were more prolific. but because
the rich refused tho responsibility
Now comes Mrs. Sanger with tho
she calls birth control. strangely
enough. she docs not attempt TO over
como the evil by training her
motaphorical guns on those who are
really to blame, but tackles the prob
lem from the other end She wants
60 create n sentiment, n not law,
that would compel parents to limit
their offspring IN proportion to their
condition IN NE Tho theory is that
we can get along comfortably with
reduced birth rate. go long ms those
who are born are assured IN advance
OF being comfortably taken care Of
ana properly reared. Quality is Of
more importance than quantity In
other words. she proposes maternal
striEc not for higher wages but
refusal to bear children until the fu-
ture Of their offspring IS provided for
beyond the reach or ordinary mlscal-
culaton. She would put an end 10
slums hv stopping the supply Of re-
cruits II society or tho parents can
not guarantee a decent NE to large
families, the poor must stop having
large families.
This looks like q simple proposi-
ton yet II carried out To- n logical
conclusion is fraueht with lntcrmin-
able complexities. Mankind cannot
be regulated I'm that manner. It
might hc urged that Il license system
be devised by which the parents would
be compelled 10 have the authority
Of the state to produce a stated mum
Der of children. yet II there were
births without this permit, n penalty
for being born without license
would only make Me that much
harder for the child. and st Is the
better welfare Of the child that Is
sought We are moved TO wonder
why such question should have
arisen IN this twentieth century,
whether we are different and less
able 10 meet the problems OF life
than previous generations They seem
TO have thriyed and grown great un-
ueT ult oIu pii' u H"''''' 'ui PIC
decesSors used 10 come IN healthy
families OF ten. fifteen. twenty or
more. and these numerous children
seem TO have been as strong and as
Intelligent, II not even more virile.
than the offspring Of the two-child
or one-child middle-class family Of
today.
From another angle the birth con-
troll proposition IL absurd Socially