Life, 1922-01-05 · page 31 of 34
Life — January 5, 1922 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This editorial piece by E.S.M. satirizes opposition to public birth control education. The title references figures like **Margaret Sanger** and **Juliet Rublee**—real birth control activists—who the author depicts as being criticized for organizing openly about contraception rather than keeping it "private." The satire targets the **Roman Catholic Church** and conservative objectors who claim public discussion of birth control is scandalous ("as bad as poison gas"). The author argues this opposition is hypocritical: knowledge about birth control shouldn't be suppressed, and ironically, the Church's resistance itself serves as "advertisement" for the cause. The piece uses economic logic—families have fewer children when they're expensive rather than profitable—to argue birth control information serves society's interests. The final section mocks the idea that "knowledge is power" but also "danger," suggesting society must choose progress over suppression. The remaining page content includes advertisements (Tiffany & Co., Prophylactic toothbrushes) and a brief joke about women eating chocolates at matinees causing "emotionalism."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Scat! IRTH control? Why, yes, if nec- essary. But must it be organized? It is so private! Must Mrs. Sanger and Mrs. Juliet Rublee and Mr. Harold Cox, in the interest of noise and world peace, be licensed to propagate it in the open with flare lights and a “brass-band? Is everybody’s family mail going to be loaded up with contraceptionist par- ticulars? Why, that is about as bad as poison gas. The real question is not whether people shall practice birth control, but whether the law against public dif- fusion of information on this subject shall be repealed or ignored, and the business of diffusing this information organized, so that nobody need be born whose parents are attentive. The most conspicuous objector is the Roman Catholic Church, which en- cour: large families, and holds that birth control is a sin. The size of families depends upon the conditions of life. Where children are profitable to their parents while they are still young, there are always plenty of children. When they are an expense, there are fewer; the more ex- pense the fewer children. People do not like to bring children into the world who are coming into too hard compe- tition or who will sink in the social scale; so the higher the social scale, the fewer children. Child labor laws and compulsory education shrink: the birth rate hecause they prevent parents from finding a pecuniary profit in children. Knowledge is power. It is also danger. If we knew nothing we could n, but neither could we get any- where. What little knowledge we have now is obviously a dangerous thing, but the chance of help by adding to it is better than by diminishing it. If we are going to destroy society by know- ing too much, society has got to go. It can come back after we have gone, but it cannot live by suppression; that has been thoroughly tried. When folks like Mrs. Rublee and Mrs. Sanger and Mr. Cox come down the road, it is prob- ably best to open ranks and let them pass through. Their great remedy is no panacea, but opposition to them is advertisement, especially when it is fur- nishcd by officials of a religious organi- zation. Any church is free to teach what it likes about birth control, but it is not helped in its teaching by calling in the police. E. S. M. Calorics Screntists assert that the consump- tion of sugar tends to promote emo- tionalism, which may account for the condition of the young ladies who eat so many pounds of chocolates at mati- nees. TIFFANY & GO. JEWELRY AND SILVERWARE NOTED FOR DESIGN QUALITY AND WORKMANSHIP MAIL INQUIRIES GIVEN PROMPT ATTENTION Fito AVENUE & 3/2 STREET New YorK “Open Sesame” is out of date. The Philosopher utters The Magic Phrase, «SUBSCRIBE TO LIFE” For All of Us—A Timely Resolution—To Read Lire Every Week! Special Offer Enclosed find One Dollar (Canadian $1.20, Foreign $1.40). Send Lire for the next ten weeks to Open only to new subscribers; no subscrip- tions renewed at this rate. LIFE, 598 Madison Ave., New York One Year $5 Canadian $5.80 Foreign $6.60 comicbooks.com