MENTAL AND PHYSICAL RESULTS. 265 



stricted to men over 21 years of age, though each individual is just 

 as vitally interested in good government as are these men. 



PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE FRANCHISE. 



As each man is the guardian of his minor children and is re- 

 sponsible that they are properly cared for, clothed, fed and educated, 

 .so that they may in turn become good citizens, it is no more than 

 justice to such fathers and such children that the guardian have an 

 extra vote for each minor child under his care. It is quite certain 

 that the father of a family is more vitally interested in a good gov- 

 ernment than is the bachelor who has no responsibilities beyond 

 himself. It is therefore no more than simple justice that the voice 

 in the government be proportional to the amount of interest. Under 

 such a condition the artificial discrimination against a parent aris- 

 ing from the increasing complexity of modern civilization would be 

 counteracted by a political discrimination in his favor. Many a 

 parent, who under the present conditions struggles with poverty 

 and adversity, would, under such a system, obtain political favors 

 which would enable him to rear and educate his children much 

 better than is now possible. With increased opportunities arising 

 from political justice to parents, there would be a check on that 

 form of premeditated sterility that arises from pure desperation at 



f 



inability to provide for children already produced. 



SIZE OF FAMILY INFLUENCED BY BIRTH-RANKS OF PARENTS. 



In this connection I may remark that it is the most common of 

 circumstances in the present state of society for parents, after one 

 or two children are born, to be very careful that there are no more. 

 This appears to be very much a case of "discretion," and the more 

 intelligent persons are usually the more discrete. We see this illus- 

 trated by the fact that the more advanced portions of society usually 



