Woman and Socialism

by August Bebel

COUNTRIES	1871 to 1875	1876 to 1880	1881 to 1885	1886 to 1890	1891 to 1895	1896 to 1900	1901 to 1905	1907
German Empire	18.84	15.68	15.40	15.68	15.88	17.83	16	16.2
Prussia	18.88	15.86	15.92	16.32	16.40	16.86	16.2	16.4
Bavaria	18.92	14.65	13.64	13.96	14.76	16.09	15.2	15.4
Saxony	19.96	17.70	17.62	18.64	17.52	18.76	16.6	16.8
Austria	18.30	15.52	15.88	15.40	15.76	16.04	15.8	15.8
Hungary	21.51	19.30	20.24	17.72	17.92	16.05	17.2	19.6
Italy	15.54	15.06	14.08	17.64	14.96	14.40	14.8	15.4
Switzerland	16.06	14.90	13.80	14.00	14.72	15.59	15	15.6
France	16.06	15.16	15.04	14.48	14.90	15.14	15.2	16
England and Wales	17.08	15.34	15.14	14.70	15.16	16.14	15.6	15.8
Scotland	14.98	11.76	13.76	18.02	13.68	14.94	14	14
Ireland	9.72	9.04	8.66	8.66	9.48	9.87	10.4	10.2
Belgium	15.44	13.94	13.94	14.34	15.24	16.45	16.2	16.2
Netherlands	16.64	15.76	14.28	14.04	14.48	14.88	15	15.2
Denmark	15.88	15.54	15.38	13.94	13.84	14.79	14.4	15.2
Norway	14.58	14.40	13.82	12.76	12.92	13.73	12.4	11.8
Sweden	14.04	13.20	12.84	12.20	11.45	12.04	11.8	12
Finland	17.68	15.72	14.90	14.40	12.98	15.34	13	13.6
European Russia excl. the Vistula province	19.62	17.62	18.06	17.94	17.08	17.80	—	—
Bulgaria	—	—	18.04	17.24	16.07	—	—	—
Servia	22.80	23.32	22.14	21.76	19.84	—	—	—

That the marriage rate rises and sinks with the rise and decline of national prosperity is most strikingly noticeable in Germany. The largest number of marriages (423,900), were contracted in Germany in 1872, the year after the close of the Franco-Prussian war. From 1873 on, the marriage rate declined until in 1879, the year when the crisis was at its worst, it attained its lowest figure (335,133). Then it gradually increased again until 1890, a year of prosperity, to sink once more in 1892 and again to increase with the years of returning prosperity until with the height of prosperity the highest figures were attained (476,491 in 1900, and 471,519 in 1899). The next crisis brought another decline. In 1902 the number of marriages did not exceed 457,208 while in 1906 and 1907 it rose up again to 498,900 and 503,964.

But in general the statistics of most countries point to a decline of the marriage rate. The highest numbers attained during the seventies were attained only in exceptional instances at the close of the nineties. But not only the earnings have a strong influence on the marriage rate, the conditions of property have so likewise. Statistics from the kingdom of Wurtemberg show, that with the increase of large estates the number of married men between 25 and 30 years of age decreases and the number of unmarried men between 40 and 50 years of age increases. Small estates are favorable to the marriage rate, because they enable a greater number of families to maintain a decent though modest livelihood, while large estates are, for obvious reasons, unfavorable to the marriage rate. With the growing industrial development of a country, the number of marriages in urban trades and professions increases. The following statistics from Sweden during the years 1901 to 1904 show the relation of marriage to occupation:

Agriculture	per	1000	4.78
Industry	“	“	7.17
Commerce	“	“	7.75
Learned professions	“	“	6.33

All these figures prove that not moral but economic causes are the determining factors. The number of marriages like the moral status of a social group depend upon its material foundation.

[2.—Infanticide and Abortion.]

Fear of poverty and doubts as to whether it will be possible to bring up the children suitable to their station in life, cause many women of all classes to commit deeds that are averse to the laws of nature and to the laws of organized society as well. Such deeds include the various methods to prevent conception, and when this has occurred nevertheless, artificial abortion. It would be a mistake to assume that such methods are resorted to only by frivolous, unscrupulous women. They are, on the contrary, frequently resorted to by conscientious wives, who feel that they must limit the number of offspring and rather submit to the dangers of abortion, than to deny themselves to their husbands and thereby drive them to the devious paths. Other women again take this step to conceal a “sin,” or because they abhor the discomforts of pregnancy, child-birth and motherhood, or because they fear that their physical beauty will be impaired and that they will accordingly seem less attractive to their husbands and to men in general. These women readily obtain medical and surgical aid at high prices.

Artificial abortion seems to be practiced more and more. It was frequently practiced among the ancients and is practiced to-day among both civilized nations and savages. The old Greeks practiced it openly, without any legal restraint. Plato regarded it as within the province of the midwife, and Aristotle permitted it to married people when a pregnancy that was not desired took place.[60] According to Jules Ronyer, the women of Rome practiced abortion for several reasons. In the first place they wished to conceal the results of their illegitimate relations; secondly they wished to indulge in uninterrupted excesses, and thirdly they sought to avoid the detrimental effects of pregnancy and child-birth upon their beauty.[61] Among the romans a woman was considered old when she attained the thirtieth year, and the women therefore shunned everything that was likely to make them age more quickly. During the mediaeval ages abortions were punishable by severe penalties, in some instances even by capital punishment, and a free woman who had practiced it became a serf.

At the present time abortions are practiced chiefly in Turkey and in the United States. “The Turks do not regard a foetus as being really alive until after the fifth month, and have no scruple in causing its abortion. Even at later stages, when the operation becomes criminal, it is frequently practiced. In 1872 at Constantinople, more than three thousand cases of abortion were brought before the courts in a period of ten months.”[62]