“But these were not the only means by which the compulsory element of government was frustrated and finally defeated. Compulsory taxation was another element which matured the people to abolish compulsory government. In proportion as the people grew in self-reliance, individual liberty and aversion for government by physical force, the burden of compulsory taxation became more and more sensitive. In the course of time the vast majority of the people believed more or less in lying and otherwise deceiving the assessors, so as to avoid paying taxes; and the assessors generally knew themselves that the tax-payers were lying to them when they enumerated their property for assessment. And these sentiments, more or less, are easily traceable with your tax-payer here on earth. As far as I can learn, nearly all of you try more or less to deceive your assessors. You, like we first, attempted in this matter to make people truthful by putting them under oath, but it was soon found that when people do not wish to pay taxes any longer, they have no greater scruples for perjury than they have for a simple, straight falsehood. Thus the oath, too, became powerless and eventually obsolete. “In this manner the taxes and duties were one by one taken off from the different kinds of property, so that at last all was free. The cessation of compulsory taxation caused the government of physical force first to weaken and then to crumble to pieces. It, of course, was for a while more or less maintained by voluntary donations by those who still believed in it, in a somewhat similar manner as you now maintain churches which were also formerly built and maintained by the state. But as man’s sentiments grew more and more in harmony with freedom, the compulsory element slowly disappeared altogether, as we now find it in our communities. Thus we arrived by successive approximations to our present form of voluntary government. In proportion as the human-made laws were repealed and ignored, natural opportunity became equally open to all, so that justice, free competition, and a healthy supply and demand, guided by a constantly increasing intelligence, made a proper adjustment of all things.” CHAPTER XXV. HOW THE TRANSITION FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW ORDER OF THINGS WAS ACCOMPLISHED. [_Concluded._] “Mr. Midith, you have not yet told us how your old marriage system was gradually superseded by your present system of sexual freedom,” said Rev. Dudley. “I am sure it would be highly interesting to us to have you point out the most important transitional steps.” “It is, of course, impossible for me to point out all the countless gradations through which we passed in the sex relations from the lowest stages of barbarism to that highest state of equal sexual freedom which the Marsites now enjoy. It will suffice here to say that the progress with us, as far as I can learn up to the point which you have reached at the present time, were almost identical with yours.