The very rich have one, possibly two, rarely three children, and these, instead of being developed for working citizens, often evolve into ornaments, and sometimes become a nuisance and an expense to the state.
The mothers who give their time to the care of large families have no regular incomes. Their husbands are poor, and contribute to the development of citizens what they can, or will.
The people who are doing the most important work for the state, for whom all business is operated (as tradition sayeth), have no capital, and are carrying on their more or less great work by donations, given at the discretion of the donor. They can not receive more than their husband’s income, and never have that amount.
No matter how efficient these women may be as mothers, there is no recognition of this excellence, except by a few friends of the family.
Nothing has been done to make a large family popular. The trend of the whole course of civilization has been and is to do anything but evolve citizens.
Of course, women are supposed to be too spiritually minded to want compensation in money for work done for love.
However, is any great work done that is not done for love of the work? No one writes, paints, plays, builds, prints, binds books, models in leather or clay, raises cattle, fruits, grains, but him who loves his work. There is little response in any part of life, other than to love.
All workers accept the world’s custom of using money as a medium of exchange for their time and energy—all except mothers and wives. So much service is given for so much money, and so much money for so much service.
Women are human beings, no more and no less than are men. They are just as human as men. They love freedom, independence and justice.
There is no natural reason why they should not have public recognition for work and development.