HEREDITY AND POLITICS 125 



of any improvement in the environment, but it will 

 naturally improve its own environment. Improvements 

 in environment are made possible by the genius of our 

 ablest men and carried out by the ability and industry 

 of competent administrators. So, if the average ability 

 of the nation be raised, improvements in environment 

 will assuredly follow. If, on the other hand, the 

 racial efficiency fall, it requires more and more expendi- 

 ture of effort to keep up the rate of environmental 

 advance, and thus to maintain the position already won. 

 Finally, the race would become unable to maintain its 

 existing environment, and a decline in civilization 

 must follow. 



Let us then accept the racial point of view, and 

 regard as the ultimate aim of politics the improvement 

 of the racial qualities of the nation. Let us consider 

 both legislation and administration from this aspect. 

 Let us ask of each proposal, not how it will affect 

 the comfort or convenience of the existing generation, 

 but how it will affect the inborn qualities of future 

 generations. 



On these lines we shall find a new clue to politics. 

 It will not necessarily follow that in practice this clue 

 ought exclusively to be followed. Future gain may 

 sometimes be purchased at too heavy a present price, 

 or, at all events, at a price which it is impossible to get 

 the present generation to pay. But, in existing con- 

 ditions, the racial point of view is almost entirely 

 ignored, and more good may be done in emphasizing 

 a forgotten lesson, than in attempting a complete 

 analysis of the whole political problem. 



