28 DARWINISM AND POLITICS. 



ing a supernatural, or infranatural, region out- 

 side human society. Governments are natural 

 products, and it is inconsistent in Mr. Herbert 

 Spencer, while telling us that the maxim " Con- 

 stitutions are not made but stow " has become 

 a truism, to go on to blame gov ernments simply 

 because they interfere " with natural laws. 

 Why, such 'interferences" would on his own. 

 principles amount to a miracle 1 1 lie real and 

 significant distinction is not that between 

 "State-interference" and " laissez /aire" but 

 between intelligent and scientific, i.e. syste- 

 matic and far-sighted State-action on t he one 

 side and that p eddling kind of playing at an 

 occasional and conde scending providence in 

 small matters, which is often much worse than 

 doing nothing at all. The State which "pro- 

 tects " a few industries and doles out its alms 

 to a multitude of paupers is only yet half con- 

 scious of its functions and may be doing unmi- 

 tigated evil, except in so far as it is performing 

 some interesting but rather cruel experiments I 

 for the benefit of sociological students. " Pro- 

 tection " and a bad poor-law (i.e. any mode of] 

 relief which breeds pauperism instead of dimin- 

 ishing it) are just the kinds of State-action which 





