The Ideal State 265 



existence, to be sure." The independence of the 

 people has been ever a false cry, used as an excuse 

 for doing nothing and spending nothing to alleviate 

 poverty and distress — a mere selfish refusal to give 

 to the brothers and sisters of the race the same healthy 

 and comfortable environment which we consider 

 necessary to ourselves. As regards the struggle for 

 existence and the making of men, I can assert without 

 fear of contradiction that poverty and starvation 

 never made men or contributed to their higher physi- 

 cal development. Poverty has slain millions of 

 healthy infants who would have been a valuable 

 asset to the State, and who had every right to demand 

 healthy conditions of food, clothing, and pure air. 

 This is all so evident surely that we do not need to 

 pursue this aspect of the method of social evolution. 

 It is in process now and must continue to advance. 



It must now be evident that if once we have this 

 treatment of the child physically, intellectually, and 

 ethically thoroughly established, in a generation at 

 most we shall have to deal with a class of workers who 

 are contented and happy, who realise that they are 

 cared for by the State, and who will do all in their 

 power to help the process of social amelioration in all 

 classes of society. The altruistic feelings will operate 

 with vastly greater power and intensity, and the 

 spirit of love and self-sacrifice will everywhere prevail, 

 so that we shall have reached a much greater advance 

 in the betterment of the conditions of life among the 

 people, with the prospect of attainment hitherto un- 

 dreamt of. 



The spiritual evolution of the people has not been 

 confined to any one class. It has been evident in its 

 operation in society as a whole, but I think we are 

 entitled to consider that in the generation just con- 

 cluded it has been more evidenced among the lower 



