184 Heredity and Social Progress 



of natural processes; the movement towards 

 equality must be nurtured. The exploitation 

 of the weak by the strong and the dwarfing 

 of feeble characters by the strong are the 

 natural results of the pressure exerted by the 

 strong. A check to progress here arises for 

 which there is no natural remedy. When, 

 therefore, nations wish to progress, it is these 

 tendencies which nullify their efforts. 



A backward race or class need not be radi- 

 cally altered to fit it for civilization. Most of 

 the changes come of themselves if the ini- 

 tial evils are removed. Give the class or the 

 dwarfed character a surplus, and spontaneous 

 changes will reorganize society. The initial 

 step in progress is protection, and a flow of 

 income from the strong to the weak. 



An illustration is furnished by the changes 

 in the immigrants to America. A few genera- 

 tions make them completely American, not 

 because the conscious educational process has 

 had sufficient power to do it, but because 

 a few initial changes start a chain of natural 

 causes which strengthen the strong individ- 

 uals of the new classes and force their trans- 



