New-York tribune., 1920-10-03
Birth Control Brief
Margaret Sanger Discusses
It's Meaning
T IS not to be expected that 80

burning . conviction as Margaret
Sanger has in her faith in birth
control Is to be quenched by an edict.
In Woman and the New Race (Bren-
tano) she turns temporarily from that
direct clinical crusade for which she
suffered imprisonment to the persuasion
Of opinion through writing. The book
is An exposition-clear and bold and
often eloquent-of the ends and aims
and possibilities Of the whole birth con-
troll movement and its relation to the
social enterprises of our time.
The middle and upper classes, says
Mrs. Sanger, have in one way or an
other come to a measurable sophstica-
tion about birth control That is ade-
quately proved by their small families.
1t IL the unresourceful poor, on whom
large families press most cruelty, who
must come to their knowledge legiti-
mately-and 1t Is for the right to legiti-
matize this knowledge that she pleads.
But the birth control movement is in
its essence something more than an
essay In philanthropy. 1t is a dynamic
part Of that push toward self-determin-
ism which Is the meaning of the whole
woman movement. The demand for the
franchise was the most lightly formu-
lated Of Its aspirations Its deeper i'm
plications lie in the vision woman has
of herself as an individual actively will
ing her part In the social organization.
Since power comes through the con-
troll Of an indispensable commodity, says
Mrs, Sanger, the greatest power Is
woman's. For all the expensive enter
prises Of civilization are based on the
premise that she will settle the score,
that she will passively and inexhaustibly
replenish. the earth. There have been
many times in the worlds history when
she has borne children in bitter fore
knowledge Of the wasted end-when she
has borne them unwillingly to serfdom
and wars. Her fecundity has enslaved
he's, and by the power to command 1t
comes not only the way Of her own es-
cape, but an escape for men, her chill
dren, from the blunderings into which
their careless adventurings have led
them. Now, for the first time she can
check the outgo and refuse payment, and
the effect of this power on the shape Of
civilization, its effectiveness to coerce
equity in industry and in war, is beyond
present power to compute.
The most interesting speculation
with which she deals Is the probable
effect Of widespread knowledge Of
ralites. By q cynical paradox it would
seem that the fundamental morali-
ties are unalterable. Not all the pen
alties Devised in the most rigorous
times have prevented seductiors, in
fanticides and abortions. Abortion is
to-day aim ost the universal escape
rom urwanted childbirth As ortho-
doxy could not legislate virtue, so can
freedom not mar it. Her book deals
not altogether with imponderables, for
it contains simple and useful discus
sion of the important phases Of birth
control-the risks involved in abortion
he effectiveness Of contraceptives and
he simpler questions Of sex hygiene
'gainst the wastefulness Of abortion
he insists upon the economy and COM
mon sense of a widespread under
tanding Of contraception.
1t is perhaps not generally known
hat there was no state prohibition
Information concerning contraceptivc
until 1868, and no Federal prohibition
Il it until 1873. 1t was Anthony Com
stock who accomplished that, by the
passage of his Federal obscenity act.
Mrs. Sanger is perhaps triGc prone
to regard birth control IS the 7anacea
sor all evils. She sees war and labor
troubles, all the physical and spiritual
lis of man, vanish in this new wisdom.
'erhaps that is because she is some
hing Of fanatic But only fanatics
ara pathfuders