the public is educated to the truth and intent of
eugenics, there need be no compulsory examination. Men and women will, of
their own accord, desire to know if their marriage will jeopardize the
race. There will be questions of heredity to elucidate, questions of
inherited insanity, poison taints, of blindness and deafness, or it may be
of drunkenness.

Further, marriage certificates, or permits, must be considered in regard to
the future conduct of those to whom we refuse permits to marry. A refusal
of the permission to marry will not change the desire to marry. Many, of
course, to whom a permit is refused, will accept the situation, will be
thankful to be possessed of the knowledge of their incompetency in order
that they may seek medical aid. These individuals will remain under medical
supervision until their ailments are cured and their competency
established. In this way the eugenic aim is materially furthered. Others
may not abide by the decree which forbids marriage. It would wholly defeat
the eugenic idea if the unfit children were to continue to be born
illegitimately. These individuals will comprise the few--probably the
present unfit members of society--and the final solution of the matter must
remain a question of education and evolution. When public opinion is
educated to the degree necessary to establish a system of eugenic
self-protection, we shall be provided with a race of children whose [15]
culture will achieve the ideal of parenthood by a process of education
rather than legislation.

THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE AND VICE.--If a prenuptial examination were made
compulsory there is no doubt of the very prompt and salutory effect it
would have on present-day vice. It has often been said that "You cannot
legislate virtue or sobriety into a people." We are familiar too with the
maxim that "You can lead a horse to the well, but you cannot make him
drink." You can lead a horse to the well, however, and lo! he drinks. If
you lead him at the right time he will always drink. If we legislate at the
psychological moment we can legislate virtue and sobriety into a people.

A very large percentage of existing vice is the immediate product of
ignorance, and the larger percentage of the remainder is the result of
propinquity and the idea that it will never be found out. Very little of it
is the outcome of innate degeneracy. It is an acquired degeneracy we must
guard against, and that is the special educational mot