Sentence:  And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them. Soft heartedness <WSD>caused</WSD> more harm than good. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority.