_Objections._--The following objections are raised by those who are adverse to the institution of such marriage prohibitions as these: (_a_) They limit personal freedom, and even in some cases actually abolish it. (_b_) By means of marriage-prohibitions, it is possible to limit the number of legitimate children born, but not the number of children as a whole, since persons to whom legal marriage is forbidden will in that case procreate illegitimate children. But it is far from being desirable that this should happen. All the defects previously enumerated would be present in such children, and their birth would be unconditionally harmful to society. It is statistically proved that marriage-prohibitions lead to an increase in the number of illegitimate births. In Bavaria, for example, down to the year 1868, the local authorities imposed an unconditional veto upon the marriage of persons supported solely by wage-earning; against this prohibition there was no appeal whatever. In the year 1868 was passed the law relating to marriage and domicile, by which most of the former marriage-prohibitions were repealed. The sequel of this was that, whereas from 1854 to 1868 illegitimate births constituted 22 per cent. of all births, in the seven years following 1868 the percentage of illegitimate births fell to 12·6 per cent. (_c_) It is better, say the objectors, that a man suffering from venereal disease should marry, for in that case he makes only one woman unhappy and procreates a few children only. But if he is forbidden to marry, he has intercourse with numerous women, especially with prostitutes, he infects many women, and procreates more children. (_d_) Marriage-prohibitions do not prevent unhappy marriages only, but also those which would be likely to prove happy. Many couples enter into marriage for other reasons than desire for sexual intercourse. There are also many sick persons upon whom marriage exercises a curative influence--curing, or at least alleviating, the disease from which they suffer. For example, many alcoholics become abstemious or temperate as a result of marriage; many weakly and delicate girls become strong and healthy women when they marry. Many marriages are happy although husband and wife do not practise sexual intercourse; and it is by no means uncommon for a woman to marry a sick man simply because she pities him, and wishes to act as his sick-nurse. (_e_) Marriage-prohibitions accentuate class contrasts. (_f_) Diseased persons commonly have no offspring. (_g_) Diseased persons to whom, after consideration of their case, marriage is permitted, have the responsibility taken out of their hands, and consequently tend to lose all sense of responsibility. (_h_) Marriage-prohibitions interfere with natural selection, inasmuch as they render impossible the acquirement of immunity to disease and the process of regeneration. (_i_) It would be a logical counterpart to marriage-prohibitions to compel healthy persons to