CHAPTER II. 



t 



SOME OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED. 



All great truths have had to struggle for rec- 

 ognition. The story of the crucifixion is typical 

 of all history. Every sublime fact that now helps 

 to form the galaxy of law, science and religion 

 has been crucified by ignorance, buried by estab- 

 lished custom and compelled to rise against popu- 

 lar prejudice. Heredity forms no exception to 

 the rule. 



Three general causes tend to retard a popular 

 interest in and a general acceptance of the doc- 

 trine of heredity. ( i ) The public has been edu- 

 cated to look upon environment, education and 

 religion as the all-controlling factors in the pro- 

 duction of mind and the formation of character; 

 hence heredity is not deemed essential. (2) It 

 is generally, but erroneously, supposed that to Why Objections 

 a*dmit of prefixed tendencies partly relieves man are 

 from moral responsibility ; such a supposition con- 

 flicts with our religious training and ideas of jus- 

 tice. (3) The abuse of the plea of insanity in 

 criminal courts and the frequent acquittal of mon- 

 eyed rascals on the ground of unsound mind, 

 morbid tendencies, degeneracy, dipsomania, atav- 

 ism, etc., has greatly prejudiced the public mind. 

 Heredity has been made synonymous with fatal- 

 ism, feeble-mindedness, insanity and crime. Any 

 morbid condition is considered a case of heredity, 



