The Fortnightly Review: No. CCCCLXIII, New Series [‎634v] (159/239)

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the position of women.
of nervous energy rather than that of sex.” It has, perhaps, never
occurred to her that the whole human race has become artificially
over-sexed, and that this condition, so far from being benencia to
the race, is just one of those things that this movement will tend
to counteract. In Mrs. Stetson’s Women and Economics this
view is very ably and convincingly demonstrated; I consider the
book one of the most illuminating treatises on the whole of this
question that has ever been written.
Again I must insist that when speaking of the over-sexed con
dition of the human race I utterly repudiate any participation m
the belief that a sane, healthy desire for expansion and independ
ence in the woman leads to the absurd views about child-bearing
that Lucas Malet seems to think obtain amongst the mass of the
would-be emancipated. But neither do I accept President Loose-
velt’s views as a doctrine of salvation. There is a great deal of
loose talk about the necessity of large families for the good of a
nation. Lucas Malet quotes President Roosevelt as follows : If
a race does not have plenty of children, or if these children do not
grow up, or if when they grow up they are unhealthy in body,
stunted or vicious in mind, then the race is decadent, &c. This
does not strike me as very sound sense.
(1) If a race does not have plenty of children it is decadent.
(2) If it has “ plenty of children,” but they die, it is decadent.
(3) If it has plenty of children and they grow up unhealthy
and vicious, it is decadent. But if a race managed to have fewer
than “plenty,” and they grew up healthy, well developed, and
virtuous, would the race still be decadent without the “ plenty ”?
Is not the quality rather than the quantity of children the thing to
be aimed at? If, then, by improving women’s status the breed
improves, as improve it must, is not this preferable to the
‘ ‘ plenty ’ ’ in their present very mixed condition ? Has no one
sufficient imagination to see in their mind’s eye a race that would
be incapable of breeding this mass of “ undesirable aliens ” who
are tossed about from shore to shore, welcome nowhere, and a
curse to themselves?
We are in the transition stage; and in this stage there always
have been, always will be, disheartening phases. But let us not
on that account talk of “ going back ” ; there is nothing, nothing,
that even the most conservative amongst us need wish to go back
to. And if we set our ideal high enough and move steadily forward
we may reach heaven at last.
Agnes Grove.