d less roving. In the exercise of this function
women are therefore, on the whole, naturally more capable, more
responsible, less liable to be turned aside by the demands of the
moment. In his "Pure Sociology," Professor Lester Ward has very clearly
and forcibly discussed the comparative behaviour of the two sexes in
this matter, and he shows how the great feminine sentiment, not confined
merely to the human species, is to choose the best. The principle is
also a factor in masculine action, but much less markedly so. What we
call, then, the greater fastidiousness of the female sex is a definite
sex character, and has a definite racial value, raising the standard of
fatherhood where it is allowed free play. But in a nation which contains
a great excess of women, under economic conditions which are greatly to
their disadvantage, the value of this natural fastidiousness is
practically lost. Such are the conditions in Great Britain at present
that practically any man, of however low a type, however diseased,
however unworthy for parenthood, may become a father, if he pleases.

The natural condition suitable to monogamy being a numerical equality of
the sexes, the suggestion may obviously be made that where there is a
great excess of women, monogamy should yield to polygamy; and indeed
where there is such excess monogamy is more apparent than real--an ideal
rather than a practice. Thus we have one or two modern authors who have
installed themselves in sociology by the royal road of romance--though
even to this branch of learning, as to mathematics, there is no short
cut whatsoever, even for those whose pens are naturally skilful--authors
who tell us that, given this numerical preponderance of women, some kind
of polygamous modification of the present marriage system should
certainly be adopted. To one aspect of this contention we shall later
return. Meanwhile, the answer is that, rather than abolish monogamy, we
should strive to alter the conditions which produce such an excess of
women. If such an aim were necessarily impracticable, we might well feel
inclined to vote for polygamy rather than the present state of things.
It is a very decent alternative to prostitution. But in point of fact
our aim of equalizing the numbers of the sexes, which I assert as a
canon of fundamental politics, is eminently practicable; and here we may
briefly outline, as very relevant to the problems of womanhood, the
methods by which that aim is t