The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-05-07
Equality in Saturn.

So far as the Saturnians can be said
to have any pride in anything, it is in
the absolute level which characterizes
their political and social order. They
profess to be the only true republican,
in the solar system. The fundamental
articles of their constitution are these:
All men are born equal, live equal.
and die equal.
All men are born free-free, that is,
to obey the rules laid down for the
regulation of their conduct, pursuits,
and opinions; free to be married to the
person selected for them by the physi-
logical section of the government, and
free to die at such proper period OF
life as may best suit the convenience
and general welfare of the community.
The one great industrial producer of
Saturn is the bread-root. The Saturn
ians find this wholesome and palata-
bic enough, and it is well they do, as
they have no other vegetable. 1t is
what I should call a most uninterest-
ing kind of eatable, but it serves as
food and drink, having juice enough so
that they can get along without water.
They have tough, dry grass which,
matted together, furnishes them with
clothes sufficiently warm for their cold
| blooded constitution and more than
sufficiently ugly.
A piece of ground large enough to
| furnish bread-root for ten persons is
| allotted to each head of a household,
allowance being made for the possible
increase of families. This, however,
is not very important consideration,
as the Saturnians are not prolific
race. The great object of life being
the product of the largest possible
quantity of bread-roots, and women
not being so capable in the fields as
the stronger sex, females are consider
ed an undesirable addition to society.
The one thing the Saturnians dread
and abhor is inequality. The whole
object of their laws and customs is to
maintain the strfctest equality in every
thing, social relations. property $50 far
as they can be said to have anything
which can be so calied), mode of liv-
ing, dress, and all other matters. 1t
is their boast that nobody ever starved
under their government. Nobody
goes in rags, for the coarse-fibered
grass from which they fabricate their
clothes is very durable. q confess ]
wondered how a woman could live il
Saturn. They have no looking glasses
There is no such article as ribbon
known among them. All their clothes
were of one pattern. l noticed thai
there were no pockets in any of theil
garments, and learned that poke
would be considered prima facie evi
dence of theft, as no honest person
would have use for such a secret recep
tacle.)
Before the revolution, which estab
lished the great law of absolute anC
lifelong equality the inhabitants useC
to feed at their own private tables
Since the regeneration of society al
meals are taken in common. The las
relic of barbarism was the use O.
plates-one or even more to each in
dividual This ''odious relic of al
effete civilization, as they called it
has long been superseded by oblons
hollow receptacles, one of which is al
lotted to each twelve persons. A grea
riot took place when an attempt wa
made by some fastidious and exclusiv
egotists to introduce partitions whic
should partially divide one portion c
these receptacles into individual CON
partments. The Saturnians boast sha
they have no paupers, no thieves, non
of those fictitious values called none
! all which things, they hear, ar
, known in that small Saturn nearer th
sun than the great planet which
, their dwelling-place.-OttUea' Wende
, Holmes, i12 atlantic.