advance in a graduated potential proportion, but strides forward in immeasurable bounds and starts; which, combined with the inexhaustible alimentary resources of the earth, rivers, and oceans, and with the tribute of the feathered tribes and other animals (of which some, like chickens and rabbits, can be bred in Multhusian progressions), will surely provide a never failing supply of human food, however large and rapid the increase of future generations of the human family may become.

So elated was Robert Owen with this hopeful prospect, that he exclaimed:-"Great Britian can support an incalculable increase of population; and that so far from fearing a too rapid augmentation, we should be unable sufficiently to stimu late its progress."

The discouragement addressed by Malthus to all social reformers who advocate the suppression of prostitution and the extinction of pauperism and advise the extension of marriage or free sexual intercourse to all single men and women, cannot deter them from their advocacy; for besides their trust in the unlimited resources of the alimentary produce of the earth and the sea, they can moreover rely on two other great facts, which will powerfully contribute to limit the increase of population. It is well known to all naturalists that animals as well as plants are least procreative or fruit-bearing when they grow most luxuriantly, and that on the contrary they are most prolific when hindered in their growth. Thus we find that a dwarf pear tree which had its branches cut, twisted, and bent in all directions, will be loaded with fruit, whilst a pear tree planted in the same soil but left to its natural growth, will present a most luxuriant foliage and great height, but with only a very few pears, hanging on its branches. Likewise, a small little woman will generally bear more children than a tall and stout one. The fact that the poor have a great many more children than the rich must be explained from a similar cause. It is also the reason why consumptive persons have their sexual desire excited to a greater degree than healthy individuals.

Free sexual intercourse will also to some extent check overpopulation; for between the periods of forming new connections, a considerable time will be spent in preliminary courtship. Some objectors to free sexual intercourse have even insinuated

that if women were free to marry they would choose celibacy, in order to avoid the inconvenience of pregnancy and the pains of childbirth. It must certainly be admitted that innocent maidenhood has a natural dread of the conjugal union with man, but this will be easily overcome by the meeting of the sexes in the first flush of the passions, and this period of legitimate union being deferred until the full development of puberty, and highly favoured by festivals, games, dancing, public and private meetings of the parties, no woman will escape into celibacy, and the state will give its virgins away just in the same decent manner as fathers do now with their daughters.

Ν

CHAPTER XXXVII.-GOVERNMENT.

IN all civilized countries of the world the tendency of political progress has in this century aimed at the extension of the franchise. The clamouring of the people for participation in the government of the country has resulted, amongst some of the greatest nations, in the acquisition of universal suffrage, or in a large extension of the right of choosing persons to legislate and govern for the people. In Switzerland the people exercise even a final vote on every law proposed by their representatives legislatures.

Cabet says that "in Icaria the National Assembly directs, but in all important matters the whole mass of the people decides definitively."

Considering that the Icarian institutions were elaborated by Cabet long before similar laws were adopted by Switzerland, one cannot help thinking of the marvellous spread of democratic ideas through the works of advanced writers.

Cabet greatly regrets that legislative power and action cannot be directly exercised by the people themselves, saying:—" If the whole people of Icaria could be assembled on one spot, no representative government would be needed, for they could, directly, instantly, and collectively, exercise their power of government."

Had Cabet but had the slightest idea of the marvellous results of the electric telegraph, and of its possible application as an

admirable contrivance to collect and transmit to one central point the will and decision of the whole people, in the shortest and surest way, we may presume that he would not have conceived the representive government adopted by the Icarians.

The institutions of Icaria claim, however, our serious attention, not only on account of the thorough democratic spirit they breathe, but also on account of their influence on recent political movements, which, as France and Spain, tended towards the establishment of federalism, or the government by small corporate bodies, towns, communes, districts, circles, or provinces.

Of the representative government, as instituted in Icaria, Cabet says:

"There is a national representation in Icaria, emanating directly from the power of the people.

"There are a thousand sectional assemblies in Icaria, forming the popular government of the country, and those, voting sometimes by Ayes and Noes, on one and the same subject, express the wish of the whole nation.

There are sectional popular assemblies in every town and locality where a sufficient number of people can be brought together by being convoked three times a month, or at other times, either by a magistrate or by a certain number of the people themselves.

“Every citizen has the right to bring before the popular assembly any project of law or reform, and to open a discussion on any subject relating to the national administration, or to ask any questions on public matters.

"Even the presidents of the national assemblies in Icaria are working men. The actual president is a stonemason. "There is no House of Lords in Icaria, for all citizens possess equal political power; their popular assemblies are their high courts of parliament."

The Democratic Charter of the Future annexed to this book as an appendix contains similar proposals, not as radical reforms, but as means of transition to a final communistic organization of society.

* "Let us have electrical conversazione offices, communicating with each other all over the kingdom.”—FRANCIS RONALD, first projector of the electric telegraph.

CHAPTER XXXVIII-RELIGION.

ALL great social reformers have at all times availed them

selves of the religious feelings and convictions of their fellow men; and, as there never was, nor ever can be, a rational system of religion that does not preach the mutual love of all men, the close and intimate relation between communism and religion justifies the endeavours which social reformers have made to harmonize religion with communism.

Lycurgus, before introducing his institutions into Lacedemonia, first sought their sanction from the Delphian oracle, and succeeded by this ingenious stratagem in inducing his countrymen to undergo a great social change. Lycurgus may in this instance have fortuitously used the credulity of the Spartans, but such a stratagem is no more needed in the present enlightened age, when men are accustomed to listen to rational persuasion and argumentative reasoning. If told that to avoid evil and to do good is the precept of all religions, and that communism is nothing more nor less than the practical carrying out of this great maxim, they will give a ready hearing to the advocates of the communistic doctrine. Having thus been made predisposed to a patient hearing, they may further be made acquainted with the opinions of philosophers and social theorists concerning the influence of religion and morality on social reforms.

Already, Plato maintains that justice cannot be introduced into the organization of a state without a previous study of what is good. "The idea of the good is the highest branch of study,―about which, when justice and the other virtues employ themselves, they then become useful and advantageous."

What the real good is, we learn from Sir Thomas More, who says:"To do a great deal of good to mankind is the chief design that every good man ought to propose to himself in living."

This maxim of Sir Thomas More introduces the first indication of the utilitarian doctrine so ably and persistently advocated by J. Stuart Mill, which is generally summed up in the well-known tenet, "to do the greatest possible good to the greatest possible number."

The utilitarian doctrine is, however, nothing more than the realization of the aim of Christianity, which is universal brotherhood.

Cabet therefore says:-"Christ, misunderstood and condemned by His contemporaries, nevertheless stands at the summit of humanity for His devotion to the happiness of mankind and for His teaching of the principle of fraternity and mutual love of all the members of the human family."

Saint Simon thinks that Christianity is capable of further development in its practical application, saying, "Christianity is progressive in its nature, and ought not to be confined within the limits of the canonical books, but ought to act and be acted on by the events of each period, and ought to be modified according to the existing manners of each nation and age. The only part of it which ought to remain eternally unchanged is the lesson, evidently Divine, " Love one another."

Buonarotti clearly shows the great advantage of introducing Christianity into social theories, saying:-" If Christianity had not been disfigured by impostors, it might have proved of vast service to all legislators friendly to their fellow-men. The pure and benevolent doctrine of Christ might become the basis of a sage reform, and the source of, really, social morals."

In how far the future state of society will present a greater facility for the true exercise of Christian charity has been frequently shown throughout the whole of this book, but more so in the chapter on charitable labour. When the prospects there foreshadowed become realized, then can it be said, in the words of Saint Simon:-"Christ has prepared universal brotherhood; and Communism will carry it out."

To what noble actions of charity and self-devotion the religious sentiment may give birth, we learn from Sir Thomas More, who says:-" There are many among the Utopians, that upon a motive of religion, neglect learning, and apply themselves to no sort of study; nor do they allow themselves any leisure time, but are perpetually employed, believing that by the good things that a man does he secures to himself that happiness that comes after death. Some of these visit the sick; others mend highways, cleanse ditches, repair bridges, or dig turf, gravel, or stone (see page 388).

In bringing Christian morality, and especially Christ's in