178 THE TREND OF THE RACE 



Aristotelian doctrine of the golden mean finds its ample justifi- 

 cation. 



We agree that in numerous instances family limitation would 

 confer an inestimable boon. As Dr. Drysdale well says, "There 

 are millions of poor physically and mentally unfit creatures who, 

 if voluntary restriction were known to them, or they were not told 

 it was unhealthy or immoral, would only be too glad to escape 

 burdening themselves and the community with a numerous and 

 weakly progeny. What is the use of deploring the increase of the 

 unfit when the poor mothers among the working classes are only 

 too anxious to avoid the misery of bearing child upon child in 

 wretched surroundings on miserably insufficient wages, and 

 of seeing half their children perish from semi-starvation before 

 their eyes?" 



It is argued that the greatest benefits of birth control would 

 result from diffusing the proper knowledge among the classes that 

 form the rather broad belt between mental deficiency and com- 

 mon mediocrity. We cannot reasonably expect that, in this belt, 

 a great deal of respect would be paid to the counsel of sexual 

 abstinence as a means of limiting the family. Since knowledge of 

 the means of preventing conception is so prevalent among the 

 upper ranks of society, why become so righteously indignant 

 about extending the information to the people among whom it 

 would do the most good? 



While much has been said against Neo-Malthusianism on 

 hygienic, ethical and patriotic grounds, there can be no doubt 

 that opinion in medical circles and elsewhere is coming to be more 

 favorable to the movement. It is becoming more and more 

 evident that legislation against the dissemination of knowledge 

 on the prevention of conception is futile, if not mischievous. It 

 now has little effect except that of keeping knowledge of the 

 subject away from the more ignorant and improvident, and of 

 indirectly leading to an increase of abortion among all classes. 

 The attempt to make ignorance the bulwark of morality has al- 

 ways broken down, and it might be better to make knowledge of 

 the least injurious contraceptive methods the general property of 



