"DARKEST ENGLAND'' SCHEME. 287 



Cunningham's physiological studies will have in- 

 formed him that the process of "shutting the 

 eyes/' in the literal sense of the words, is not 

 always wilful; and I propose to illustrate, by the 

 crucial instance his own letter furnishes, that the 

 " shutting of the eyes " of the mind to the ob- 

 vious consequences of accepted propositions may 

 also be involuntary. At least, I hope so. 



1. " Sooner or later," says Mr. Cunningham, 

 " the population problem will block the way once 

 more." What does this mean, except that multi- 

 plication, excessive in relation to the contempo- 

 raneous means of support, will create a severe com- 

 petition for those means? And this seems to me 

 to be a pretty accurate " reflection of the con- 

 ceptions of Malthus" and the other poor be- 

 nighted folks of a past generation at whom Mr. 

 Cunningham sneers. 



2. By way of leaving no doubt upon this sub- 

 ject, Mr. Cunningham further tells us, " The 

 struggle for existence is always going on, of 

 course; let us thank Darwin for making us realize 

 it." It is pleasant to meet with a little gratitude 

 to Darwin among the epigoni who are squabbling 

 over the heritage he conquered for them, but Mr. 

 Cunningham's personal expression of that feeling 

 is hasty. For it is obvious that he has not 

 "realized" the significance of Darwin's teaching 



-indeed, I fail to discover in Mr. Cunningham's 

 letter any sign that he has even " realized " what 



