Great Falls tribune., 1921-12-05
By JAMES A. STUART
Special CORRESPONDENT Of Great Falls Tribun'
Copyright, 1921. Tho Great Falls Tribune

WIN the HmlLdLlOH OL HFIldIueuLs,
Denver and the west are engaged
in white hot debate over the
limitation of families. What
should be the proper ratio of
children to the family age or in
come? An Italian woman, the
mother of five children. has been
hailed into court for not caring for
them properly. The suggestion
that her children might be taken
| from her unless she should sub
| NIT to an operation of steriliza-
| ton, has aroused a storm which
threatens to become nation wide.
Tho 6O-year- father-appar-
rently a sort of innocent by
stander in the court proceeding
is said to have given his consent,
but the mother is defiant.
Denver, Dec. 4-Judge Royal Z.
Graham, sitting in Denver juvenile
| court in the absence of Judge Ben
Lindsey, has not only set Colorado in
a white hot debate in a most effica-
cious method of birth control, but has
received numerous threats Of bodily
injury from the Italian colony Of this
city. This because it was reported
that he had ordered the sterilization
of Mrs. Cylde Cossidente, who was
hailed into court for failure to take
care of her five children---all of them
under eight years of age.
Judge Graham denies that he ever
contemplated directing such an opera
ton without the consent of both the
woman and her husband. One phase
of the storm which has broken out is
instance the sauce for the goose
should not also be sauce for the
gander. Mr.. Cossidente is close to
60 years old. while Mrs Cossidente is
only half that age and declares her
intention of bearing just as many
more children as she can. Mrs. Cos
sidepte blames all her trouble on "too
many welfare workers" She says she
couldn't keep them out of her house
and although the medical authorities
claim that in some aspects she has
the mind Of child, she does not hesi-
tate to express that mind in very en-
phatic terms against her tormentors.
She Takes No Chances
While the Judge has denied enter
ing an order against Mrs. Cossidente
taking some of her children away
from her unless she should consent
to the operation, that Italian mother
is taking no chances as to the future
and a visit to her home today dis
in order and the children with their
closed the place carefully cleaned and
faces washed.
The case is now in the hands of
committee of three, J. A. c. Reynolds,
attorney for the Cossidentes, and two
women welfare workers who are to re-
port conditions in the house on Janu-
ary 10 when Judge Graham will decide
whether it is necessary to take the
children.
Mr.. Cossidente, the somewhat sub
merged father in the proceedings, says
he supports his family on an income
which varies from $40 to 5000 a month,
to the vicissitudes of his fortune as
notary public, interpreter and real
estate agent. He says he pays but
81 month for his exteremly modest
sevenroom home, located in very
undesirable location near the South
Platte river.
Medical Students Story
Sterilization Of Mrs. Cossidente was
suggested to Judge Graham in the
midst OF the hearing of the case by
a witness, Ray Sunderland, senior med
ical student in the university Of Colo
RADIO, who attended Mrs. Cossidente at
the birth of her last baby. Sunderland
declared that he has talked the matter
over with Cossidente and that Cossi-
dente has given his consent
II was simply trying to keep the
family together after it had been pro-
posed to take the five children from
their mother" said Sunderland.
Before / went on the witness stand
7 again asked Cossidente if he would
agree to the sterilization of his wife,
and he said yes, so while ] was being
questioned by the judge | made the
suggestion that conditions would not
improve as long as Mrs. Cossidente
kept bearing children as rapidly as pos
sibIe and that it might be well to con-
slider putting an end to that.
"Then the Judge named a committee
to take over the case and he told them
that it might be we'll for them to con-
slider the sterilization suggestion if the
parents would be willing. otherwise he
would take the children away from
home unless conditions were greatly
improved.
Only Solution, He Says
'Tn the consideration of this family
case the whole thing hinges on the large
size of the family, the difference in the
ages Of Cossidente and his wife. and
the mothers mental condition. There
are five children now. all of them young
Cossidente is close to go years of age
but his wife is only 80. Her age infers
the possibility of bearing children for
several years while they would be un-
able to care for them. ;,
with conditions as they are, 1t
comes to me sterilization of either the
husband or wife, if agreed to, is the
only solution Of their problem. 1t
couldn't hurt Cossidente to be sterlliz-
ed, because Of his age. although l dis
cussed with him only the proposal to
sterilize Mrs. Cossidentc.
"Since the storm of discussion fol-
lowing the recommendation of the
iudce. which has been approved by
most of the leading women of Denver
and as bitterly denounced by most OF
the men. Judge Graham has issued this
statement to set himself right: /
"Shortly after the hearing in Mrs.
yossidente's case. reporter came to
nc and asked whether an order for
4 erilization would be made, and | said
N order might be entered if the con-
itions made it necessary and with the
onscnt Of the parties concerned.
Declines to Comment
Il sincerely hope that the objection
bic conditions will be eliminated for
he place for those children is in their
wn home. ! have no intention of fore
NJ Mrs. Cossidente to give up her