THE HUMAN PLANT 353 



Now in the human family precisely analogous 

 processes of selection are being employed, con- 

 sciously or unconsciously, in every community. 

 Of course the selections are not usually made 

 with the definite and avowed object of producing 

 progeny of an improved tj^e; but the inherent 

 affinities that lead to the selection of marriage 

 partners are themselves determined by prin- 

 ciples that might properly be said to be eugenic 

 — providing artificial restrictions do not too 

 greatly interfere with the freedom of choice. 



Generally speaking, men and women would 

 choose marriage partners having vigor and 

 health and beauty to the exclusion of those hav- 

 ing the opposite traits, were free choice given 

 them. 



But, of course, under actual social conditions, 

 entire freedom of choice is impossible, and no 

 fact is more distressingly patent than the fact 

 that large numbers of persons who are obviously 

 unfit to assume the duties of parenthood bring 

 forth abundant progeny. 



Indeed, under existing conditions, it is the all 

 too general observation that the notoriously unfit 

 members of the community are the ones that 

 produce the largest families. 



Now it requires no very profound knowledge 

 of the laws of heredity to understand that such 



L— Bur. Vol. 8 



