If, therefore, we TPould carry out the prin- 

 ciple of propfT nurture, we must recognise 

 that the nurture of the next generation 

 must be begun now, and that all exceptant 

 mothers shall be made secure from defect- 

 ive nourishment, neglect, dishonour, worry, 

 or overwork in factory or home. This may 

 startle some of us, but undoubtedly the 

 Eugenist has much truth on his side when 

 he demands that this is one of the most 

 crucial questions for us to decide upon. 



Some Eugenists (and other people, too) 

 argue that the race is degenerating because 

 the birth-rate is falling more rapidly among 

 the middle class. Such an assertion may 

 be true, but it is difficult to prove, as all 

 statistics omit any consideration of the diff- 

 erences of nurture in the two classes, and 

 this probably makes all the difference. 



Now, as to natural or primary Eugenics, 

 as the Eugenists propose to name it. This 

 calls for special att-ention. The term 

 "Eugenics" or good breeding was intro- 

 duced by Sir Francis Galton in reference 

 to the possibility of breeding more largely 

 than heretofore from good stocks, whose 

 members would probably be of special 

 value to the community. That would be a 

 Eugenic selection practised among man- 

 kind, but all selection must really involve 

 rejection; to choose is also to refuse; and 

 Eugenics must include not only selection 

 of the able and worthy, but also rejection 

 of the unworthy (like the feeble-minded), 

 as those who are to become the parents of 

 the next generation. Dr. Saleeby has pro- 

 posed that the first of the two methods 

 mentioned, viz., the selection of the fit, 

 should be termed positive Eugenics, and the 

 second, or rejection of the unfit, negatir? 

 Eugenics. These terms have been approved 

 and adopted by Sir Francis Galton, and 

 passed into general use among Eugenists. 

 Positive Eugenics may therefore be defined 

 as the encouragement of worthy parent- 

 hood, and negative Eugenics the discourage- 

 ment of unworthy parenthood. Beside 

 these two another section is recognised as 

 preventive Eugenics, the aim of which is 

 to combat the racial poisons. It may be 

 well, after so far considering these prin- 

 ciples, to recapitulate them in tabular 

 form. We have then 



A. — Natural or Primary Eugenics, ttnder 

 which we range 



No. 1. — Positive Eugenics. Encouraging 

 worthy parenthood. 



No. 2. — Negative Eugenics. Discourag- 

 ing unworthy parenthood. 



No. 3. — Preventive — opposing the racial 

 poisons. 



B. — Nurtural, or Secondary Eugenics. 



No. 1. — Physical — including nurture from 

 the beginning — not merely from the cradle 

 — to the grave. 



No. 2. — Psychical — including education. 



No. 3. — Social and moral — home, school, 

 and nation. 



It is almost superfluous t-o remark that, 

 having stated such principles as the fore- 

 going, we are only at the beginning of the 

 matter. All kinds of questions and difficul- 

 ties are bound to crop up, e.g., the decision 

 between the worthy and the unworthy, and 

 to obtain general agreement to the standard 

 Bet up. And even granted that there it 

 general agreement on these points, and 

 that we know what we want, and what 

 we do not want — just what particular ma* 

 tings of individuals will produce the kind 

 of race we desire, still we have to ascertain 

 what methods we shall adopt to persuad* 

 the right people to become parents, and 

 dissuade or exclude the wrong people, if 

 any such methods exist. It is evident 

 that here the Eugenist has to run up 

 against human instinct — pride, passion, 

 and prejudice, politics and custom — at every 

 turn, and, above all, the great fact of that 

 love which makes the world go round, and 

 may be quite equal to turning Eugenics 

 out of doors altogether. Is love to be a 

 friend or an enemy? The Eugenists claim 

 it for a friend, provided those agents, such 

 as Mammon and Bacchus, which tend to 

 pervert it, are searched out and destroyed. 

 So, in spite of the difficulties we have 

 enumerated, the Eugenist still seems deter- 

 mined to persevere, endeavouring to influ- 

 ence those within his reach to marry the 

 physically and mentally fit rather than the 

 well-to-do, if lacking in physical or mental 

 calibre, and, at the same time, endeavour- 

 ing to secure better legislation for the 

 feeble-minded and inebriate. 



I have dealt with some of the principles 

 of Eugenics with the idea that some of you 

 may be interested in a matter which is 

 very much before the public just now. I 

 need hardly tell you that there is a very 

 great deal more to be said, and this you 

 can easily understand if we are to apply 

 the principles we have laid down. It has 

 occurred to me that it might be of great 

 interest to get Dr. Saleeby himself at some 

 future time to address us on the subject 

 if possible. He has written and spoken 

 much on the matter, and is undoubtedly 

 the greatest authority on the subject, and 

 I have borrowed his remarks almost ver- 

 batim in this evening's paper. 



Some of you may be disposed to regard 

 the whole thing as a crank, and dismiss 

 it as utterly impracticable, but before you 

 do so let me impress on you that mucb 

 which is commonplace with us to-day has 

 in its inception been regarded in precisely 

 similar terms. We may instance aero- 

 planes as a good example. If you should 

 ask me what is the use of such an idea 

 I can but point to the condition of our 

 asylums at the present time — the even more 

 frequent recurrence of outrage by criminal 

 lunatics, arson, homicide, as seen in the 

 attack on Colonel Roosevelt just a few 

 days ago. The assault upon and murder 



