82 DARWINISM AND POLITICS. 



the very reverse. Fewer children will be born, 

 but fewer will die, fewer will be sickly. Those 

 who are born will be better and more intelli- 

 gently cared for. Two healthy, well reared 

 children will be more useful to the community 

 than a dozen neglected waifs and strays. Here, 

 again, we shall only be imitating by rational 

 procedure the upward tendency of nature, 

 which consists in the economy of production. 

 Rational selection will take the place of the 

 cruel process of natural selection. 



If we are still reminded that only through 

 struggle can mankind attain any good thing, let 

 us remember that there is a struggle from 

 which we can never altogether escape the 

 struggle against nature, including the blind 

 forces of human passion. There will always 

 be enough to do in this ceaseless struggle to 

 call forth all the energies of which human 

 nature at its very best is capable. At present, 

 how much of these energies, intellectual and 

 moral as well as physical, is wasted in mutual 

 destruction ! May we not hope that by degrees 

 this mutual conflict will be turned into mutual 

 help ? And, if it is pointed out that even at 

 present mutual help does come about, even 



