THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM 169 



any other, for, if the drunken father evaded it in 

 one generation, the drunken son would be taken 

 in the next. 



The scheme of Temperance Reform here pro- 

 pounded will doubtless be denounced as opposed to 

 the best instincts of human nature — as horrible, as 

 Malthusian, as immoral, as impracticable. By- 

 best instincts people often mean strongest pre- 

 judices. The scheme is undoubtedly Malthusian. 

 It is certainly horrible. In a sense it is immoral. 

 It may be impracticable. All that being admitted, 

 let us face the only alternative. The alternative is 

 more horrible and more immoral still. If by any 

 means we save the inebriates of this generation, 

 but permit them to have offspring, future genera- 

 tions must deal with an increased number of 

 inebriates ; for, as we have seen, it ever becomes 

 more and more impracticable to extinguish or 

 diminish the supply of drink, or to control drinking. 

 The experience of many centuries has rendered it 

 sufficiently plain, that while there is drink, there 

 will be drunkards till the race be purged of them. 

 We have, therefore, no real choice between 

 Temperance Reform by the abolition of drink, and 

 Temperance Reform by the elimination of the 

 drunkard. The only real choice is between 

 Natural and Artificial Selection — a momentous 

 truth that must constantly be borne in mind. In 



