HEREDITY AND POLITICS 161 



not be compelled to do right. Right thinking, right 

 living and right doing spring from an inborn sense of 

 duty and rectitude of conscience. Wrong doing is far 

 easier to check since, in its more usual forms, it is 

 as often the consequence of want of will, bad habit and 

 unfortunate environment as of intentional, deliberate 

 evil action. It is perhaps correct to say that well-doing 

 is the result of a conscious direction of action, and that 

 much ill-doing is caused merely by lack of any intention, 

 either good or bad ; it is, in fact, too often only the 

 result of following the course of least resistance. As 

 the phrase goes, it is possible to cease to do evil, but it 

 is necessary to learn to do good. Where then, as in 

 France, efforts are made to encourage a population to 

 resume a line of conduct which is beneficial to the State, 

 it would be natural to lay more stress on religious and 

 educational influences than on any scheme of payment 

 by results. 



It is extremely desirable that no economic pressure 

 should be exerted against parents who are bringing up 

 families likely to be of racial value, and it is well to 

 relieve such persons of all possible financial burdens 

 in accordance with the requirements of their station 

 in life. But it is doubtful whether any monetary 

 advantages, to the extent that are likely to be given 

 either in France or England, will alter appreciably the 

 state of affairs, though a sympathetic attitude of the 

 national conscience on such a point is likely to have 

 great effect. The result of the French legislation will 

 be watched with deep interest ; but far more hope- 

 ful is the general attention to the subject aroused 



throughout the country. Unfortunately it is one of 



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