EUGENICS, NEGATIVE 
37 
ilized countries, and especially in large cities, is surely and 
not slowly deteriorating. Insanity in the United States 
increases six fold while the population doubles. Deaf- 
mutism is on the increase, as are also epilepsy, alcoholism, 
and nervous exhaustion. The torch is being dimmed. 
How? Those in whom the light of life shines less brightly 
are producing children, handing their dim light on to the 
next generation, in which it will become still fainter. For it 
is the law of life that weak parents produce still weaker chil¬ 
dren. Salvation to the race can come only by checking re¬ 
production in the weak and stimulating it in the strong. 
1. What evidences are there of racial decay in the United States ? 
2. How can we account, at least in part, for this weakening of our 
people ? 
3. How can the decadence be checked ? 
Hope Ahead. — During the last few years much has been 
learned about the laws of heredity. It seems as though at 
last our teaching is established on a firm scientific founda¬ 
tion. By the diligent application of these scientific discover¬ 
ies we are making wonderful strides in the improvement of 
cultivated plants and domestic animals. The hope arises 
that, if we give study and devotion to the production and 
rearing of children, we can in time bring forth a race of nobler 
men and women. Such a result is worthy of the utmost 
endeavor and can be produced only by a thorough consecra¬ 
tion to wholesome, ideal living, a consecration such as is 
shown in conforming to a religious duty. 
1. How does the progress made in plant and animal breeding 
point the way for improvement in the human stock ? 
2. In what spirit only can we make adequate progress ? 
Eugenics, Negative. — The work for eugenics (well born) 
takes a negative, and a positive aspect. Negatively our en¬ 
deavor will be to prevent the propagation of the undesirable. 
People having transmissible defects should not marry. In 
