554 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



Fashion and Laziness and love of Greed. Out upon 

 such hypocrisy!" 



Writers tell us that it has even become the boast 

 of many women that they '^know too much to have 

 babies." 



Causes of the Crime.— Many influences may com- 

 bine to cause the mother ruthlessly to destroy her 

 helpless child; as, to conceal the result? of sin, to 

 avoid the burdens of maternity, to sf .re ease and 

 freedom to travel, etc., or even from p /alse idea that 

 maternity is vulgar ; but it is true, beyond all question, 

 that the primary cause of the sin is far back of all 

 these influences. The most unstinted and scathing in- 

 vectives are used in characterizing the criminality of 

 a mother who takes the life of her unborn babe; but 

 a word is seldom said of the one who forced upon her 

 the circumstances which gave the unfortunate one ex- 

 istence. Though doctors, ministers, and moralists have 

 said much on this subject, and written more, it is rea- 

 sonable to suppose that they will never accomplish 

 much, if anything, in the direction of reform until they 

 recognize the part the man acts in all these sad cases, 

 and begin to demand reform where it is most needed, 

 and where its achievement will effect the most good. 

 As was observed in the remarks upon the subject of 

 ''Prevention of Conception," this evil has its origin 

 in "marital excesses," and in a disregard of the natu- 

 ral law which makes the female the sole proprietor 

 of her own body, and gives to her the right to refuse 

 the approaches of the male when unprepared to re- 

 ceive them without doing violence to the laws of her 

 being. 



The Nature of the Crime.— "The married and 

 well-to-do, who by means of medicines and operations 



