MENTAL AND SOCIAL EVOLUTION 145 



control, and seem to be satisfied now, are not going to 

 initiate a change, and those who are being "pushed to 

 the wall," being to that extent the unfit, have not the 

 power to do so. There is a constant interchange of 

 units from the latter class to the former, and as man- 

 kind is evidently increasing in reasoning power from 

 generation to generation, in those countries where rea- 

 son is most in use, that is, where scientific education 

 is persistently invoked, there is a prospect that a solu- 

 tion for the seeming injustices now existing may event- 

 ually be found. Everybody must acknowledge that this 

 is but a slow evolution of reason, and that it would be 

 most desirable if it could come by a mutation per 

 saltnm; but so far it has not come that way. The 

 earnest and able discussion of the methods of economi- 

 cal reform now going on should greatly hasten the 

 accomplishing of it, and every right-minded person 

 should desire and aid to the extent of his ability in its 

 consummation. In the United States there is the fair- 

 est, the most favorable field, for the exercise of the 

 franchise, by a majority of the votes, by electing those 

 who represent their reason in the matter and actually 

 putting in force the principle that reason governs the 

 evolution of society. They would then soon show 

 whether reason, as now evolved, will do this, in spite 

 of or in accordance with the natural law of natural 

 selection, or the survival of the fittest. If, in accordance 

 with the natural law, it will likely be permanent. Of 

 course, if natural selection is not the law of evolution 

 in society, but "mutual aid" is, then reason must con- 

 form to that law. To be at all effective, reason can 

 only evolve, and operate, along the lines of the natural 

 law whatever it is. 



FORMS OF SOCIETY. The evolution of the gens, the 



