[Birth Control and Progress Speech Fragment]

Birth Control has become the mark of a superior sense of moral responsibility. Someone has recently said that it is the most momentous fact in the history of mankind. Certainly it is the keynote of a new social era ecause it is not only an expedient of health and economy but it is also a social principle which is interlocked with the spiritual progress of the race & the future.

B.C. is the conscious control of the birth rate by means that prevent conception. It is the natural method because it prevents rather than destroys-- It does not interfere with the development of pregnancy because conception is to be prevented. Consequently no life has been allowed to begin.

It is the logical outgrowth of a century’s work at improving the conditions of life.

The 19th century is known to be the greatest period in our history for humanitarian & ameliorative efforts.

When we look back at the social conditions which existed at the end of the 18th century, one gasps with wonder & amazement with the thought that we have come through life at all.

America of course was mostly a wilderness with a hand full of people--but Europe was fairly well over populated then & England in particular with her huge civilizations can best serve as a typical example.--

Streets were unpaved, there were no sewers, refuse garbage & dirt were