EVOLUTION OF MAN AND ITS CONTROL 63 



under the present economic disadvantage by the mere enlargement of 

 circles of acquaintance. All social functions that are not merely formal, 

 but give opportunity for real acquaintanceship should be encouraged, 

 in order that young people of both sexes may meet under favorable cir- 

 cumstances and frequently enough to admit of knowledge of and friend- 

 ship with many individuals. Intelligent opposition to such functions 

 is largely because of their restriction to narrow circles and their excesses 

 in late hours, dress, food and decorations, none of these being essential 

 accompaniments of social intercourse. The churches have hitherto done 

 excellent work in this direction of social mingling, and the same may be 

 said of the various organizations in which young men and women meet 

 together for definite purposes. 



That social intercourse is definitely recognized by the public as a 

 means for rational sexual selection is shown in the series of letters to 

 the New York Times through October, 1908, resulting in the proposed 

 formation of the Lonely Club. 



Since the college at its best is one of the last bulwarks of social and 

 economic democracy, and affords our nearest approach to an environ- 

 ment unspoiled by convention, where individuals are given opportunity 

 to display their true moral, mental and physical mettle, much may be 

 expected from coeducation in the selection of the future. In the west, 

 where coeducation is comparatively wide-spread, there is apparent a 

 higher marriage rate among educated women than in the east, and a 

 thorough investigation of such rates in educational institutions of both 

 classes is needed to bring the attention of educators to this important 

 matter. 



The character of the college courses desirable for women is another 

 point that must soon be considered in the educational world. It is quite 

 possible that their too academic nature at present is partly responsible 

 for the low marriage rate of women graduates, and that training more 

 adapted to the needs of wives and mothers than to those of scholars and 

 teachers should be adopted. The preponderance of women teachers in 

 girls' colleges may be another contributing cause, in its setting up of 

 ideals other than domestic. 



Clerical celibacy in former times, continuing at present in the 

 Roman Catholic Church, though instituted in the interest of the spirit- 

 ual, has worked rather to the weeding-out of the gentle, the spiritual 

 and the intellectual. Much of the decline in modern Spain and 

 Italy may be ascribed to this custom, together with the prevalence in the 

 past of religious persecution. It may not be wholly useless for the 

 eugenicist to lift up his voice against this suicidal institution, for, soon 

 some progressive pope, seeing that the practise is clearly detrimental to 

 the interests of his institution, will set himself against it. 



To the degenerating effect of modern warfare already mentioned 



