IMPROVING THE HUMAN PLANT 



course the selections are not usually made with 

 the definite and avowed object of producing 

 progeny of an improved type; but the inherent 

 affinities that lead to the selection of marriage 

 partners are themselves determined by principles 

 that might properly be said to be eugenic — pro- 

 viding artificial restrictions do not too greatly in- 

 terfere 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 showing 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 as- 

 sume the duties of parenthood nevertheless enter the 

 marriage state and 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 a 

 condition of things is not conducive to the better- 

 ment of the race. No one could hope to produce 

 an improved variety of plants of any kind if he 

 had not freedom of choice in determining that 



[209] 



