AMERICAN NATION ON THE DECLINE 231 



young men, who are the healthiest and best, 

 physically and mentally, for food for the 

 cannon, is it not equally, if not more, im- 

 portant that laws should be passed that 

 will insure the breeding of such individ- 

 uals? And to insure this before marriage 

 licenses are issued, equally as rigid exam- 

 inations as the Government makes today 

 for the soldier or sailor must be made of 

 the young men who are candidates for 

 marriage, for they are to be the sires of 

 our future citizens, our future soldiers and 

 sailors. 



If such a large percentage of our young 

 men are rejected today, why, fifty years 

 hence, we will have no young men who will 

 pass the present Government examination ; 

 for there are three infallible laws in breed- 

 ing, viz. : 



First : Like produces like or a likeness of 

 a former ancestor. 



Second: The inferior of any animal is 

 the more prolific. 



Third: Defectives produce offspring in- 

 ferior to themselves. 



