Arizona republican., 1920-06-24
PROFESSIONAL MOTHERS

diseased ignorant and even illierate. It is self-eVident, of course, that the state cannot afford to go on raising that kind of men any more than n farmer can afford to raise manlIy, stunted and diseased live stock.
 It has always been recognized, of course, that some parents would be unable to care for their children and that some children would be born out of wedlock and that the state had a certain responsibility for such unfor tunate children. The recognition of these facts created the orph<nages. orphan asylums and like institutions which dot the country. But these places do not fill the bill The child has no home life, no proper freedom. He is not given the living and the edu- cation which he deserves, but merely 9 makeshift substitute, the acceptance of which he often regards as a dis grace.
 Charity Fails
 The efforts of private charity have i likewise proved inadequate, and so i have the attempts to solve the prob- 1 lem by placing children Tn homes 1 Despite these measures, the enormous waste of child life has gone on. The l system of pensioning mothers with | state funds has gained headWay De- 1 cause it has, to some extent, met the need when everything else has fallcd. I One state after another has adopted II, and everywhere it has accomplished good The laws are all different and 1 few of them are drawn by experts. Few | of them provide really adequate pen 1 sions, and still fewer make any ade- quate provision for the administration 1 of the law by competent persons CT mothers pensions have triumphed, ana 1 it has been a purely practical triumph. It is against all American tradition for the state nROSiOn mot hers It IS q purely socialistic measure Washing ton and Jefferson and the rest or tho pantheon of American political gods never endorsed it. But it saves chlld life, keeps homes intact, keeps women from taking to the street in sheer desperation, and therefore it has tri- umphed again and again in conserNa- tive legislatures where common sense ] is stronger than devotion to tradition or fear of social theory.
 The dangers of granting pensions te mothers are self-evident There is ob- vious danger of fraud and waste. There is also an obvious temptation for of- flee holders to use such pensions as q means of building up their constitu- encies. Yet those who have had eN- pericnce in administering these laws say that the practical drawbacks arg not as serious as they look. The grow ing participation Of women in politics and public service will probably be g
 stimulus both to the passage of sucf legislation and to it's proper admin
 istration.
 Motherhood As a Profession
 This whole movement is really step toward the recognition of moth erhood as q profession which is O
 great value to the state It will in al probability lead to more systematic
 education Of women for motherhood, sC that when the state invests money 1T children it will be sure of a return. A: it is, most women go into marriag, preparation for the difficult occupct3.,- ? of raising children. The proper mo
 tive for marriage in this country i i supposed to be romantic love. I'm typical American girl does not regard ? marriage and motherhood q the diff f cult and responsible business WhiC , they arc: she regards them a $ q Erea