When Malthus was remonstrated with for the pessimistic
tendencies of his book, he replied that this world was not
intended to be one of enjoyment, but of probation, and that
men were called upon to keep their appetites in check, and
were warned that the laws of nature would punish them if
they did not. The young must be taught the necessary rules
of marriage and purity ; generally speaking, these are thrown
to the winds. Sexual instinct exists, and the young of
certain classes never imagine that it should be kept under
control. (See Richard Jefferies' description of the morals pre-
valent in the country villages of England.) The artizan class
in general is growing up quite heedless of restraint in marriage.
"The morality of men should tend to overcome physical
impulses, and every state of civilized society must have
recourse to moral restraint." (Cohn.)

Galton condemns Malthus' principle of prudent marriage,
because under it the best types would be likely to die out, ■
for those only would follow it whose progeny would be the
best; the least beneficial would crowd out the highest
natures. But Malthus' advice was to postpone marriage to
far too late an age, and only applied it to one class — the
poor one. We must endeavour to teach all classes, whether
rich or poor, that too early marriages are most injurious, not



2i6 NEO-MALTHUSIANISM

only from a pecuniary, but from a moral and reproductive
point of view also. The earlier years of this century in
England saw terrible effects from too youthful marriages
and their results — an enormous number of children, who
were brought into the world to act as their parents' slaves
and helps.
