The short sessions being those which allow the “lame ducks” to legislate just as if they had not been defeated for re-election, has been dubbed the “don’t-care-a-damn” session, and it is generally considered the heyday for “freak” legislation. This bill is placed in that class by the scornful. But all the while the members were acquiring a better understanding and a more obvious respect for the measure. Almost every one who was consulted responded to our suggestion that, apart from their individual views on the measure, they would do everything possible to insure for the discussion of the question in the cloakrooms, in committee and on the floor an atmosphere of dignity and seriousness which the subject deserved. An influential representative of the old guard Republicans said: “This is a new idea to me as a subject for legislation, and I must give it more thought, but I can see its social importance, and certainly I can assure you right now that I will do my utmost to see that a proper atmosphere for the discussion is established.” (This was the Senator who turned the tide of refusals, and introduced the bill the following year, Senator Albert B. Cummins of Iowa.) More and more men were found whose attitude was like that of a Middle Western leader, who said, “I see no reason why I shouldn’t support it.” The interviews frequently developed into perfectly good “mothers’ meetings.” Even the “busy” men often settled down in the big leather chairs of the Marble Room and grew domestically reminiscent. One told how he himself had been “an unwanted baby,” a fourth child born when the family lived in one room, and how several of them died, and he became the main support. “And so,” he said, “you see there may sometimes be a place for the unwanted ones after all.” “Indeed, yes, because brave humans will always struggle to adjust and triumph, but would you, because of that, deliberately perpetuate the ignorance which keeps on producing unwanted babies?” And he answered unhesitatingly, “No, certainly not.” The men with rural constituents have been specially interested in the need of the country people for good reliable books on the control of parenthood. The mothers and fathers who live miles from a railroad, and who find the only doctor in the nearest village unable or unwilling to give them useful instruction as to how to space their babies, are very real characters to them, and it doesn’t take much argument to make them see what our Federal measure will do for these people, and how simple it will make it for them to order by mail, from book stores in the big cities, practical books by the world’s best authorities.