TO THE POOR. 265 



moments in his life so act as to change for the better his 

 whole future, and what a man can thus do for himself 

 by taking the tide at the flood that leads to fortune, 

 a society or a nation may do for itself by a revolution. 

 It may improve its happiness and fortune without 

 altering its structure. So much, at least, may be said 

 in reply to the " can-do-nothing " argument. 



Nevertheless, replies the sociologist, the disciple of 

 Spencer, you would not thus, by enforced social equality 

 produced by revolution, stamp out poverty, far less the 

 other social maladies that have always afflicted society 

 like inherited diseases, which in great measure they 

 really are. You would not thus eradicate them ; because 

 you have not touched the source, but only the symptoms 

 of social diseases ; you have not reached the perennial 

 and poisoned spring from which proceed all other social 

 evils, poverty included, namely, our average, weak and 

 imperfect, foolishly selfish, and corrupt human nature. 

 The deep cause of all our woe lies here, lies in that 

 imperfect thing called human nature, which only the 

 sanguine enthusiast or foolish philanthropist dreams can 

 be quickly and largely changed. That it is not to be 

 easily changed, is the decided teaching of evolution ; and 

 yet without a very considerable improvement in it, no 

 corresponding improvement in society is possible, as 

 without a permanent and radical regeneration in average 

 human nature, no great social regeneration is possible. 

 Without alterations in individual men, no alterations in 

 social arrangements and institutions, no legislative enact- 

 ments, or forced equalit} r , promise much in the way of 

 good result ; for, waiving the consideration that it would 

 be extremely difficult to make the alterations, yet even 

 if they were decreed by the authority of the State, still, 

 .men's natures remaining the same, after a temporary 



