Metcalf: Evolution and Man 
tutions for the care of the defective and 
delinquent, and similar data should be 
gathered by privately endowed institu- 
tions of similar purpose. Privately 
endowed investigations should gather 
inheritance data as to all types of 
human stock, especially the most desir- 
able. All these data should be gathered, 
studied and filed by thoroughly trained 
experts. They should be open te 
inspection only by those who can show 
valid reason for such privilege. Con- 
templation of marriage by or with a 
member of any family included in these 
records should of course make the 
records available for study. In imagi- 
nation one can see the day when inher- 
itance records will be made by the 
State for all individuals and these files 
be the most valued of all records, but 
that day is far distant. | 
THE EUGENIC CONSCIENCE 
Education to Ideals of Eugenics.—This 
includes, first, the education of college 
and university students in the phenom- 
ena of inheritance and, second, educa- 
tion of society to an appreciation of the 
necessity and beauty of the practice of 
eugenics. This education of society 
will come chiefly through the pulpit, 
the stage, our novelists, poets and 
essayists. The education will not be 
real and vital until it has taken such 
hold of the imagination and has so 
molded ideals that non-eugenic marriage 
shall seem unbeautiful and repellant. 
There is no other crime so heinous as 
intentionally sharing in bringing into 
the world a human being who, there is 
reason to believe, will be an injury to 
society. This is vitiating the very 
fibre of the human stock. Not only 
is the bearing of such children criminal— 
accessory to the crime are charitable 
persons, or professional workers in 
charities, who express their sympathy 
for the individual in ways that result 
in such injury to society in the coming 
generation: The agents of our charit- 
able organizations and the officials 
guiding state activities in relation to the 
defective and delinquent, often do not 
now have in mind the rights of society 
in the coming generation, to safeguard 
- eugenics. 
361 
those rights. But, of course, apprecia- 
tion of the principles of eugenics, and 
respect for them, is a primary requisite 
for fit service in these lines and should 
be so recognized. We know as yet” 
but little in this field, but we must not 
be false to so much of the truth as we 
have attained. In promoting ideals 
of eugenics the immediately practical 
thing is to educate ourselves and our 
fellows to a warm appreciation of 
physical, mental and moral soundness 
and wholesomeness, such appreciation 
as will make these qualities the most 
attractive in choice in marriage. This 
is a long, slow process, but there is 
never any short cut to results of really 
vital importance. After 2,000 years 
the altruism of Jesus has only begun its 
beneficent work in those aspects of 
human relations long recognized. It 
must reach to and come to be controlling 
in this newly recognized and higher 
phase of social morals. 
Legislation.—This is a minor feature 
to one who takes the “long look,’ but 
it is essential. Legislation can never 
express and enforce an ideal that is not 
general, and one does not see that it 
can ever be more than purely negative, 
debarring certain clearly recognized 
types of defective men and women from 
marriage. In cases of congenital feeble- 
mindedness and inherited insanity, if 
accurately diagnosed, segregation may 
now wisely be used. But legislatures 
have positive genius for mistaken legisla- 
tion in scientific matters, and they are 
sure to be urged by well-meaning but 
ill-informed persons to enact unwise 
laws, as some states have already done. 
Legislation which goes too far or 1s ill- 
founded will set back, not advance, 
If one State should enact 
moderate segregation laws based on 
sound scientific data and drafted under 
the advice of those most conversant 
with these data, it would do great service 
not only to itself, but also by its exam- 
ple. One concrete instance of wise 
legislation would not only be a stimulus 
to other states to enact similar laws 
but could be used as a deterrent in cases 
of proposed laws founded on enthusiasm 
and not on knowledge. So-called eu- 
