Amongst the Jews a family of children is extolled, a celibate
condition is neither sanctioned or approved. From 1851 to
1864, the then estimated Roman Catholic population of
Europe increased o'48 per 100, the 52,212,000 Protestants
o"98, the Jews i"93, and the same ratio continues. (See
Lagneau.) The great fecundity of the Jews is in consequence
of their religion, which abhors virginity; naturally every Jewish
girl thinks that she may be the mother of the Messiah. " All
Jewish heroes were men of numerous families and abundant
offspring." Notwithstanding all the persecutions and troubles
which it has had to endure for ages, and which would have
stamped out others altogether, the Jewish race has increased
and maintained itself in a marvellous manner, because it has
always considered healthy, lawful marriage and family life
to be the first duty of mankind, and which invariably tends
to increase its vigour and contentment. (See Voltaire,
Dictionnaire Philosophique, on this matter of the family life
of the Jew.) I have taken some trouble to ascertain, and I
find that the artificial check system is looked upon with
horror by every Jew, both as distinctly immoral and also
wholly ruinous to any nation that might be so foolish as to



90 NEO-MALTHUSIANISM

adopt it. Neo-Malthusianism would most certainly cause such
a nation to decay in numbers and become the victim of one
more daring and prolific in numbers.
As it has ever been in the past, so it will be in the future.
