Cases where only one party demands a divorce, will have to be carefully studied by a commission, which will include in its personnel physicians and psychiatrists, and every case will be decided on its merits. But adultery will certainly not be the only reason for granting a divorce, as it is in so many states now.
Perhaps adultery will be considered the least
important reason for the granting of a divorce. Of course, women of the future state of society
being economically independent, the question of alimony will not possess the same
importance that it does now. Perhaps it will not enter into the question at all.
Monogamy, while being the prevalent system, will not be surrounded with the rigid and
iron clad rules of the present day, will not be so absolute in its applications as it is theoretically
supposed to be now, and occasional departures from it will not be accompanied by the odium
and legal punishments of the present day. The mass of the people being more familiar with
the truths of physiology and psychology, occasional straying from the straight and narrow
path of rigid monogamy will not be frowned upon by the wife. Perhaps it will be encouraged by
her.
Ante-nuptially no reproach will be attached to sexual relationships. Prostitution being
a coarse and unsanitary institution, relationships of a different character will come into vogue
where the health of both the man and the woman will be as secure and as safeguarded as it
is in the legal marriage.
As no odium will be attached to such relations, no secrecy will be
required and all sanitary precautions will be readily carried out, should such sanitary
precautions be needed at that time. For we believe that in the future, prostitution being
non-existent and individual prophylaxis having been in use for years, venereal disease will
have disappeared from the face of the earth.
It is possible that it will be considered best for people to marry at a very early age
eighteen to twenty two even before the man can establish and support an independent
home. In such cases the young man and woman would remain at their respective parents
homes, until such a time when they could live independently, and they would meet only
occasionally. They would have to guard against having children, but the measures for the
prevention of conception are easily taught and easily carried out.
Men and women who, for one reason or another, will be unable or unwilling to enter into
any permanent union or to have any children, will enter into free temporary unions, openly
and frankly, and they will not be ostracized or even frowned upon for so doing. For it will be
recognized that for some men or women it is the only form of sexual relationship possible,
either psychically or physiologically.
I have spoken only of the morality of the male. Because it is his morality that presents
vexing problems. Because I still maintain that the female is essentially monandrous, and if
properly mated she presents no sexual problem. There is a small minority who are polyandrous
in their instincts, who have unconquerable sexual passions.
They will enjoy the same
liberties that men do. This will also apply to unmarried women or to women who are married
to impotent men. They will possess the same freedom and privileges as are now enjoyed by
men de facto and as will be enjoyed by the men of the future state of society de jure.