SOCIALISM AND MARRIAGE.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."1 SIFL,—I have no desire to be discourteous to the Rev. John McNeilage. The reason I did not answer his letter of August 7th, and also August 28th, was not from any fear or entering into a discussion on the subject he proposed, but simply because he was not in order. I am sorry that a man in his position should become a gutter-snipe when he writes. One should always be fair with an opponent; abuse is not argument. Socialism and marriage is quite a simple affair. I concur with the following, which is taken from the Russian Soviet Laws, published in 1919 :—
" Clause 66.—Persons intending to enter marriage must have attained matrimonial age. The matrimonial age is—for females, 16 years; males, 18 years. Clause 67.—Parties intending to enter marriage must be of sound mind.
Clause 69.—Marriage cannot be entered by relatives of ascending or descending lines, consanguineous and half con- sanguineous brothers and sisters.
Clause 72.—Monkhood, priesthood or diaconal dignity form no impediment to marriage."
There are 246 clauses given in the pamphlet, and I would advise my friend Mr. McNeilage to get a copy. The entire code is far and away in advance of anything we have. Possibly my friend desires me to become Utopian and start a "free love" crusade. That, my friend, is played out; the worker has passed that stage. Possibly my friend is so simple as :4) believe there is something in the Christian marriage; if so, I pity him. I would advise your readers to read the first volume of Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. If after reading it you are still a Christian [We cannot continue this correspondence.—En. Spectator.]
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