168 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



are imperative, that they are natural, or that they 

 are not injurious to the man as well as the woman, 

 much less beneficial to either. On the contrary, there 

 is as great a weight of evidence as could be required 

 that restraint, self-control, and moderation in the exer- 

 cise of the sexual instinct, are in the highest degree 

 beneficial to man, as well as to woman, and are neces- 

 sary for his highest development. 



3. \A^iile it is true there are a few more adult women 

 than men, the difference is not sufficiently great to re- 

 quire the introduction of polygamy as a remedy for 

 enforced celibacy. At any rate, this would be unneces- 

 sary until all bachelors had been provided with wives, 

 when there would be found no necessity for further 

 provision, since there are large numbers of women who 

 are utterly unfit to marry, who would be injured by so 

 doing, and would only serve to degenerate the race, 

 besides making themselves more wretched than they 

 already are. 



Again, it is a well-known fact that more males than 

 females are born, the preponderance of adult females 

 being caused by a greater mortality among male chil- 

 dren, together with the losses from accidents and war. 

 By a correct observance of the laws of health, together 

 with the abolition of wars, the disparity in relative 

 numbers of the sexes would disappear. Indeed, it 

 might happen that men would be in the preponderance. 



Still again, it is only in a few very populous and 

 long-settled communities that there are more women 

 than men, as in the States of Massachusetts, Connecti- 

 cut, and a few others of the Eastern States, and a few 

 countries of Europe. In all newly settled countries, the 

 reverse is true. The inquiry naturally arises. What 

 shall be done under these circumstances f Shall a 



