664 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



should feel no anxiety on his own account, those dear to him, those 

 dependent on him, or those on whom perhaps he is in greater or less 

 degree dependent, may succumb to such attacks. Considering all the 

 evils, near and remote, which may follow from an epidemic, we recog- 

 nize the necessity of adopting all such altruistic measures as may avail 

 to diminish the chance of such diseases arising, or to limit their range 

 of action when they have once found footing. No doubt egoistic con- 

 siderations here seem to suggest altruistic duties ; but these altruistic 

 duties can not be properly undertaken or discharged unless they have 

 become habitual and are referred to a real care and regard for others 

 independently of consequences, more or less remote, to self. Apart 

 from which, the discharge of such altruistic duties will be more satis- 

 fying and more pleasant if they are spontaneously imdertaken. 



Similar considerations apply to education in all its various forms. 

 In other words, we must consider the mental as well as bodily weak- 

 nesses, and the mental as well as bodily diseases, of our fellow-citizens. 

 Where those around us are stupid and unintelligent, where they at- 

 tempt no improvements, where they have little inventive capacity and 

 little readiness to use even such as they have, we suffer along with 

 them. The mere stupidity of the great mass of most communities 

 with regard to the system of government they consent to be ruled by 

 may mean most serious injury and discomfort to all, foolish and intel- 

 ligent alike. Those who see what is needed, or at least the direction 

 in which improvement may reasonably be sought, yet remain silent in 

 the belief that it is no business of theirs, are as unintelligent as those 

 who stupidly assent to what — without thinking — they suppose to be 

 good for them and to be j)rovided for by those who know better than 

 themselves ; though often, when traced to their source, the measures 

 in vogue are found to be of no better origin than the body itself which 

 submits to them. 



A low standard of intelligence in the community affects the wel- 

 fare of all, in many different ways. Wrong ideas about the relation 

 of the nation to other nations may seem unimportant in the case of 

 persons who take no direct part in political matters. But in reality a 

 very notable influence is exerted by the community generally on the 

 conduct of those who have charge of political affairs. Wrong counsels 

 in the cabinet may be advanced or right counsels hampered by stupid- 

 ity in the country at large. Statesmen themselves are not always so 

 wise or often so firm that they are not influenced by prevalent ideas ; 

 and so far as mere numbers are concerned prevalent ideas are likely to 

 be foolish ideas. Fortunately, mere numbers may not sufiice to give 

 weight to prevalent stupidity. Many of the unwise are influenced by 

 the observed fact that such and such men conduct affairs successfully, 

 and so are led to support the wiser sort, not through sound judgment 

 on their own part, but from that kind of sense which leads the igno- 

 rant to defer to the judgment of the better-informed. But this does 



