The Ideal State 237 



pendently that Christian ethics had moulded, in fact 

 profoundly altered, the face of history, and was the 

 agency by which our civilisation had established itself 

 on a permanent basis. Stead's belief was the outcome 

 of a stern, strong faith, conjoined with a perfervid 

 imagination ; Kidd's was the outcome of the scientific 

 study of the observed phenomena of history. Truly 

 God fulfils Himself in many ways. We have here two 

 absolutely diverse personalities, and yet at the same 

 moment of time practically each was able to proclaim 

 without fear of contradiction the spiritual evolution 

 of humanity under the influence of Christianity as the 

 one ameliorating agency operating in society and giving 

 stability and endurance in our civilisation which had 

 not been possible in the past. 



The gradual social amelioration throughout Europe, 

 and more particularly in Britain, has been demon- 

 strated over and over again, and it would only waste 

 time to repeat in detail what is already known of the 

 removal of serfdom, the press-gang, the passing of the 

 first Reform Bill, the abolition of the Corn Laws, the 

 gradual extension of the franchise, shorter hours and 

 improved conditions of labour, especially as regards 

 women and children ; the minimum wage, the old age 

 pension, free education, and the assertion of the 

 principle of equality of political opportunity. 



Of all the programmes pushed forward at the present 

 time, one would enter once more a protest against 

 women's suffrage, for the reason that it is a mere cry, is 

 totally unnecessary and unscientific, and can only end 

 in disaster; its influence upon the sex can only be evil, 

 and in the process of time its abrogation in the interests 

 of society and the continuance of the race would become 

 inevitable ; in all probability such a measure would be 

 rescinded by the women themselves. Men have done and 

 are doing much more for women than they themselves 



