266 THE MEANING OF EVOLUTION 



her of feeble-minded, who are feeble-minded because 

 of their heredity, is dishearteningly and astonishingly 

 large. Every attempt to examine large numbers of 

 school children shows a sickening proportion of 

 those who are distinctly feeble. Every little commu- 

 nity seems to have its boy or girl who is what is 

 known as silly. Such people rarely live long lives 

 without leaving behind them feeble-minded children, 

 no small proportion of whom are likely to be ille- 

 gitimate. Against this fouling of the stream at its 

 source, society must protect itself. Legislators re- 

 volt at the somewhat inhuman but certainly safe 

 method of surgically preventing the possibility of the 

 feeble-minded becoming parents. It would be more 

 creditable and just as effective if society would take 

 upon itself the tremendously expensive task of caring 

 for all its feeble-minded in institutions during their 

 entire life. The cost would be large for a genera- 

 tion, but would rapidly diminish and eventually be- 

 come small. It certainly would be the humane way. 

 These people in good institutions are by no means 

 unhappy. Within the limit of their capacities they 

 can do many things. Wise management usually will 

 secure from them labor enough of wholesome and 

 simple kind nearly to pay for their own support. 

 Nothing could be better for them than to till the 

 soil, care for the cattle, tend the chickens, and, in 



