The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-19

IRE; that millions have their lives shortened by
easily preventeble causes while other millions
pass their whole lives In continuous and al.
most inhuman labor in order to provide means
for the en1oyments and pernicious luxures OF
the rich-we must be amazed at the fact that
there Is nevertheless 30 much real goodness,
real humanity, among us as certainly exists,
IN spite OF all the degrading influences that
have been compelled here to enumerate
10 myself there seems only one explanation
OF the very remarkable and almost incredible
result just stated 1t is. that the Divine nature
In us-that portion Of our higher nature which
raises us above the brutes. and the influx of
winch makes us men-cannot be lost, cannot
even be permanently deteriorated by condi
tions however adverse, by training however
sehseiess and bad 1t ever remains in us, the
central and essential portion of our human
nature READY TO respond to every favorable
opportunity that arises, to grasp and hold firm
every fragment OF high thought or noble action
mat has been brought to its notice Ito oppose
even to the death every fasehood in teacbino
every tyranny in action. The ethics of Plato
and of the great moralists of the Ciceron,.p
epoch. together with those of Jesus and Of His
disciples and followers. kent alive the s.cra5
fame of pure humanity, and their preservation
monasttc system rendered to the human race
When men and women are, for the first time
IN the course of civilization. alike free to fol-
low their best impulses: when idIeness and
vicious or hurtful luxury on the one hand. on.
pressive labor and the dread of starvation nm
the other. are alike unknown; when al, receive
the best and broadcast education that tho et.ta
or civilization and knowledge will admit. when
standard
wfsest and the best among us. and that stand.
ard Is. systematically inculcated on the vopno.
then we shall find that a system ne tru,,,
natural selection will come spontaneouslv into
action which will steadily tend to eliminate
the lower. the less developed or in any wav
oerectlve types OF men. and will thus continu.
ouslS raise the physical, moral and intellectual
standard of the race. The exact mode In which
this selection will operate will now be briefly
explained
1t is my firm conviction that when we have
cleansed the Augean stable of our present
social organization, and have made such ar.
rangements that all shall contribute their share
either or physical or mental labor, and that
every one shall obtain the full and equal re-
ward for their work. the future progress of the
race will be rendered certain by the fuller de.
velopment of its higher nature acted on by a
special form Of selection which will then come
into play.
1t VIII be generally admitted that although
many women now remain unmarried from ne.
cessity rather than from choice, there are al.
ways considerable numbers who feel No strone
impulse to marriage, and accept husbands to
secure subsistence and home of their own
rather than from personal affection or strong
sexual emotion. In state of society in which
all women were economically independent.
were all fully occupied with public duties and
social OF intellectual pleasures, and had moth
Ing to gain by marriage as regards material
weil-being or social position, it Is highly prob.
able that the numbers Of the unmarried from
choice would increase. 1t would probably
come to be considered a degradation for any
woman TO marry a man whom she could not
love and esteem, and this reason would tend
at least to delay marriage till worthy and
sympathetic partner was encountered.
In man. on the other hand. the passion Of
love Is more general and usually stronger:
and In such a society as here postulated there
would be no way OF gratifying this passion but
by marriage. Every woman. therefore, would
be likely to receive offers, and q powerful se
lective agency would rest with the female SEX
Under the system OF education and public
opinion here supposed there can be little
doubt how this selection would be. exercised.
The idle or the utterly selfish would be almost