THE SOCIAL PROBLEM 267 



sons mentally or physically defective should be illegal and increase of 

 the criminal or vicious should be made impossible by aid of the surgeon. 

 "With smaller families, with better surroundings, all could be well fed 

 and conditions favoring degeneracy in the young would be reduced to 

 the minimum. This is not to say that only those in independent 

 circumstances should marry; with constantly improving sanitary con- 

 ditions everywhere and with work for all competent to perform it, the 

 average expectation of life for a sound man would be itself a large 

 capital. 



It is true that restriction of immigration and severe regulation of 

 marriage would not abolish poverty; the poor will be with us alway. 

 Disease and disaster are liable to befal the best of men ; temperamental 

 differences will continue and men and women without good sense will 

 be found everywhere. The dependent and vicious class will not disap- 

 pear while the earth lasts. But the community would have done its 

 best in one direction, at least, to prevent any but that unavoidable 

 poverty, which demands not only sympathy but also beneficence. 



