122 Chapter 5
minimumwagelaw,” proclaimedMeeker,“evenif it deprives” EasternEuropeanimmi-
grants“of work.”^183 Thisdeprivationof employmentis exactlywhatsocialistSidney
Webbaimedfor in agitatingfor minimum-wageregulationsin his nativeEngland.Speak-
ing of racialminoritiesandthe disabled,Webbstated,“Of all the waysof dealingwith
theseunfortunateparasites,the mostruinousto the communityis to allowthemunre-
strainedlyto competeas wageearners.”^184 Besidesracialminorities,the list of persons
whomSidneyand BeatriceWebbwantedforciblyremovedfromthe workforcewasquite
long:“the aged,and the child-bearingwomen... the crippled,... the epileptic,the blind
andthe deafanddumb,... andall thosewhoare actually‘morallydeficient.’” Andthe
list includespersons“incapableof steadyor continuousapplication,or whoare so defi-
cientin strength,speedor skillthat theyare incapable... of producingtheirmaintenance
at any occupationwhatsoever.”^185 HenrySeager,a progressiveat ColumbiaUniversity,
stated,“The operationof a minimumwagerequirementwouldmerelyextendthe defini-
tionof defectivesto embraceall individuals,whoevenafterreceivingspecialtraining,
remainincapableof work.” Logically,thisraisesthe questionof whatshouldbe done
withimmigrantswhowouldremainunemployedas a consequenceof the minimum
wagebeingtoo high.Seagerproposedthe run-of-the-millgovernisteugenicistdeusex
machina.“If we are to maintaina racethatis to be madeup of capable,efficientand
independentindividualsand familygroupswe mustcourageouslycut off linesof hered-
ity thathavebeenprovedto be undesirableby isolationor sterilization.”^186 To the extent
thatgovernisteugenicsis unethical,the firstargumentsfor the minimumwagelaw’s
establishmentcannotbe attributedto goodintentions.
Moreover,writingin 2009,ThomasC. Leonardnoticessomethinginterestingabout
this—“fromSDATone wouldknowalmostnothingof the leadingrole playedby progres-
siveeconomists(andotherreformers)in advocatingeugenicallymotivatedimmigration
and laborlegislation.”^187 Tell me aboutit. Finally,let us not overlookFrancesPerkins,the
Secretaryof LaborunderFDRwhowasarchitectof the FairLaborStandardsAct (FLSA).
It was the FLSAthat forbideveryU.S.statefromhavinga minimumwagelowerthanthat
whichwasset at the federallevel.It is by morethana merecoincidencethatFrances
Perkinswasideologicallyinfluencedby the sameMaryRumseynéeHarrimanwhotire-
lesslypromotedprogressive,governisteugenics.
Indeed,thereis a traitcommonto everyleft-wingeugenicist,fromLesterWardto H.
G. Wellsto JusticeBrandeisto FDRandbeyond.Eachof themis fixatedon providing
socialwelfareto society.Thisis bothin termsof collectivisteconomicsand in improving
the humanspecies’ collectivegeneticmakeup.Thisconsiderationgivesthe lie toSDAT’s
assertionthat the governisteugenicsmovementwas predominantlya right-wingploy“to
distractpublicattentionfromsocialwelfare.”^188 A slewof supportersof government-
mandatedeugenicsin boththe U.S.andWesternEuropeassumedthatit wasmorally
peremptoryfor governmentsto draftsuchlegislation.Theyknewfull wellthat theywere
spoliatingindividualsin theircompulsorysterilizationandimmigrationquotas.They
acceptedsuchspoliationas morallydefensiblebecausethey,as withHofstadterhimself,
tookfor grantedthatit wasethicallyimperativeto sacrificeindividualrightsfor the
commonweal’s socialwelfare.
Meanwhile,as theseleft-wingluminariesthrusteugenicsuponthe masses,we should
takenoteof the biologistswhofoughtgovernisteugenicism.Twoof themwereRonald
Fisher(1890–1962)andRaymondPearl(1879–1940).Theyinitiallysupportedgovernist
eugenics,but laterturnedagainstit. In theiranti-eugenicsphases,theyweredescribedas
anti-racist“conservatives” whorailedagainstthe NewDeal.^189 Ironically,one of the few
socialiststo rebukeState-sponsoredeugenicsin publicwasa scientistnamedHerbert
SpencerJennings(1868–1947).^190 He receivedthisnameas a resultof his fatherbeing