“Politically the different hordes and tribes coalesced gradually into powerful absolute monarchies, then they slowly changed to limited monarchies, then to your so-called republics, and still later on we became free as we now are. Gradually the sphere of compulsory taxation contracted and weakened. Primitively a person passing from one small district or country had to pay duty on himself and goods, later on he paid duty only on his goods, still later all migration and commerce became free; a person could go where he pleased, and buy and sell where he found the best market without paying duty on anything.” “Then you were at one time in just the same stages of development as we now are!” exclaimed Rev. Dudley. “Just the same,” replied Mr. Midith. “And now the Marsites are much further than we are,” said Mrs. Uwins. “What interests us most now is, by what course you reached your present destination, so that we may make our intelligence count to propel us in the same direction.” “Well let us try then, briefly, to point out the channel through which we passed. By the advance of intellectual culture, the unjust burden of compulsion became continually more apparent and sensitive to a larger proportion of the people. As long as a progressive people believe that man can be elevated and reformed by human-made laws--that a person’s ‘heart’ can be made good by the ballot, that long they will employ the ballot, and that long the rights of using the ballot will be given to a continually increasing number of the people. “In a certain political stage, the absolute monarch was the sole ruler and law-maker; then a few advisers were added; then a parliament with hereditary members; then representatives elected by a certain privileged class, as landlords, etc.; then the franchise was vested in all male citizens, who were of ‘age,’ and who owned a certain amount and kind of property, or paid a certain sum of taxes or rent; then to all male citizens who were of ‘age,’ then the female was gradually enfranchised, first in school and municipal affairs, then in county and state matters, and further on the female had the same privileges to use the ballot as the male; and then the age of political majority was continually lowered from twenty-one downward. “But long before all these rights were accorded to the wife and child by the masses, the more thoughtful ones of the age had learned that the ballot is powerless in bringing about justice, prosperity and a harmonious social adjustment between man and man. Hence, instead of voting as before, they slowly ceased to use the political ballot, and began to direct all their progressive energy toward self-improvement and the general diffusion of knowledge. By these means their number continually increased until it included every man, woman and child in our community government which I have described to you before.