“How does your _government_ fit with your perfect social and industrial world?” asked Mr. Uwins. “Are all its functions in harmony with all your industrial and social functions? Do or can the politicians hoodwink the ignorant? Are not the governmental functions sometimes exercised barbarously at times by cruel, incompetent men?” “I fear by your remarks that you have an entirely erroneous opinion of our government,” said Mr. Midith. “Let us see now if I can give you a correct idea of our government. “You have already learned that we live in families of a thousand or more in ‘big-houses.’ Our large family is just like an orderly, well-adjusted family with you, only ours is larger. For instance, let us take Mr. Uwins’ family here, as far as I can see has no superior and no inferior, no commander and no obeyer, no ‘boss.’ We want to bear in mind that it is as painful, if not more so, for a highly cultivated person to command his companions as it is for him to obey a tyrant. A command always involves a hindrance to order and progress. It makes the obeyer less self-governing and less self-reliant, and it makes the commander more tyrannical and more ostentatious. “In a well-adjusted family every adult has learned his part as a social and industrial being, and he does that part without being commanded; he does it because it gives him more happiness than to act otherwise. Our children know of no physical compulsion. They are exhorted and pleasantly taught, by precept and example, that the right course of conduct is the easiest and brings the most happiness, which they soon learn by experience as they grow in years and in wisdom, in a world where the adults set no bad examples. The old idea that a family cannot exist without a ‘boss’ is nothing but a relic of barbarism. Mr. Uwins cannot command Mrs. Uwins in her work, for Mrs. Uwins understands her work better herself than her husband can tell her, and _vice versa_. His command would therefore be a disadvantage, would cause discord, ill-feeling, and unproductive labor; it would take up his time which ought to be devoted to his own work; would make a master and a tyrant of the man and a slave of the woman and child. “From the foregoing remarks you will see at once that every sane individual man, woman, and child of our large family enjoys perfect freedom. They do what they believe to be their equitable part without being commanded by any one. Our internal motives and promptings are the only recognized standard of Marsian conduct. But, in order to avoid being misunderstood, let me tell you right here, that we can certainly not expect the same kind of conduct from a child, which is full of life and activity, that we do from an older person. The child requires constant activity to develop body and mind; and we must make due allowance for that. One who does not make that allowance cannot be successful in orderly government.