154 THE RIGHT TO BE WELL BORN 



examine the odd shaped heads and ijhe 

 faces of the young men in the pen and the 

 most skeptical will be compelled to 

 acknowledge that criminality is hereditary 

 in most cases, and the questions will come 

 home to you: Should we hold these young 

 men wholly responsible for their acts? 

 Should not their parents or their ancestors 

 share some of the blame? On reflection 

 you will be compelled to admit that it would 

 have been better for themselves and the 

 world had they never been born. 



MY DUTY. 



My duty: How should this hereditary 

 material be conserved? Can the man be 

 held blameless who poisons it? Is there a 

 crime so ba.se as the injury of that vital 

 substance from which spring the men and 

 women of the future ? Yes, a bit of immor- 

 tality, a creative force, a power not our- 

 selves, ours not to abuse, but to conserve as 

 our most sacred trust, and to hand on 

 unsullied to our children — and that is the 

 object of these words from one who loves 

 his country and plainly sees she is on 



