148 HEREDITY AND CHRISTIAN PROBLEMS 



improvidence." Later in the same lecture he 

 says : " Illiteracy, intemperance, overcrowding, 

 and the looseness of the marriage tie, — these 

 are the four social causes of pauperism." The 

 latter statement is undoubtedly true, but the for- 

 mer is open to exception. It does not go to the 

 root of the matter. Defective parentage, caused 

 by disease, intemperance, sexual excesses, and the 

 exhaustion of vitality through overwork, is the pri- 

 mary and personal cause of pauperism. " Idleness 

 and improvidence " naturally, and almost inevit- 

 ably, follow, and tend to reproduce themselves 

 according to the same law by which they exist. 



Among the elements that go to make an 

 environment conducive to pauperism are the 

 following : — 



(a) The tendency of the population to congregate 

 in cities. — The mountains and valleys and even 

 the prairies have streams running to the cities. 

 Most of those who go to the towns are not 

 skilled labourers ; they are without trades, and 

 are impelled thither by desire for excitement. 

 Their services are not wanted. Their capital, 

 if they have any, is soon spent. If they have 

 not sense and spirit enough to return home, they 

 are soon on the street begging, perhaps stealing. 

 If they could be induced to go back to the country 



