And then, besides that, they've just
invented a machine that blows as many bottles as a dozen men."
"But then what are the men to do?" asked Samuel.
"The condition readjusts itself," said the other. "The men have to go
into some other trade."
"But then--the cotton mills are on half time, too!"
"Yes, there are too many cotton mills."
"But then--in the end there will be too many everything."
"That is the tendency," said the professor.
"There are foreign markets, of course. But the difficulty really goes
deeper than that."
Professor Stewart paused and looked at Samuel wondering, perhaps, if
he were not throwing away his instruction. But the boy looked very
much interested, even excited.
"Most of our economists are disposed to blink the truth," said he.
"But the fact is, there are too many men."
Samuel started. It was precisely that terrible suspicion which had
been shaping itself in his own mind.
"There is a law," went on the other, "which was clearly set forth by
Malthus, that population tends continually to outrun the food supply.
And then the surplus people have to be removed."
"I see," said Samuel, awestricken. "But isn't it rather hard?"
"It seems so--to the individual. To the race it is really of the very
greatest benefit. It is the process of life."
"Please tell me," Samuel's look seemed to say.
"If you will consider Nature," Professor Stewart continued, "you will
observe that she always produces many times more individuals than can
possibly reach maturity.
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