The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-30
SEX \RELATIoN IN SOCIALISM.


Ff0p4Ennuh.
" From ths Spsctassv.
The clsarsr eyed Socialists realize that
socialism. II triumphant. will not leave the
relations Of the sexes a. they are. For sN-
ample. We find Mr.. Wells In his, novel in the
Days OF the Comet making free love the
dominant principle for the regulation ~
sexual ties In his regenerated State. The
romantic difficulty a. 70 which or the Two
lovers Of the heroine IL TO be the happy nian
Is solved by their both being accepted
Polysndry IL "the way out" In this case. pc
p0lygsmy might be in another. IL 10 oniv
fsir 20 say that IN "a letter published IN the
Clarion MIR. Wells declares that ths book ~
"a beautiful dream" and that he has never
advocated free love or the destruction of ~"
family. Still. no one who has studied social
istio literature and has taken the trouble not
merely 10 find ont where the Socialists sny
they are going or think they are going but
where the road must inevitably lead. will ferl
that there is anything unjust In the declara
ton that wives In common and husbands IN
common will follow goods In common. This.
OF course, Is no discovery OF the present age.
When during the revolution In France. and
after it In England, mems minds were for u
season full OF socialistio schemes. their orig.
inators and apologists never succeeded IN
avoiding the rock OF promiscuiSy. Canning,
for example. stigmatfzed their aspirations IN
the Ann-Jacobin in vigorous verse. We even
fnd IN an earlier age the ~satirtsts Of the Res
t~oratton making enthusiasts denouDoe the
wick OF enclosing the common 81
free woman.
Ipstinctively most Socialist theorizers have
realized that the family IL inimical TO social
ism owing to tho desire which IL creates for
the possession Of private, property private
life and an existence based on indivfdualism
Therefore the family must be destroyed. But
the family canno be destroyed without also
the destruction Of marriage. for once let y
man and woman bind themselves for life AMI
bring up their children In q home and yon
have an institution which 10 bound to shatfer
State being nothing but a great family is based
on the f8lsest Of false analogies. But though
this Instructive dread Of the family AZ bound
to oppose socialism, IN IL is allowed scope.
may be the chief reason why socialism has
always resulted In the advocacy Of some form
of promiscuity. open or covert. IL H. not the
only reason why sexual communism has been
fact fs not admitted or realized by most So
~cialists. the demand for socialism Is in reality
a W TO primitive ideas and primitive
instincts. The organization Of the savage
tribe Is largely socialistic and communism.
IL is true that we also find In the primitive
community. the beginnings Of very strong
family institutions. but these are the CROWNS
instruments destined TO enancipate mankind
from the 81 vagery Of socialism. The ia milv
was primitive mans path Of escape from
communism. When. however, man wearies
OF the struggle toward the light of
true civilization. as he does periodically, the
idea surges up in his mind that he must re-
name Of progress, what he. really means and
desires In to get back to his old savaeery IN
which all things were common and nothing
uncle8n.