The Man from Mars: His Morals, Politics and ReligionSimpson, William
Philosophy
The Man from Mars: His Morals, Politics and Religion
Simpson, William
Social problems; Utopias
The systematic and regular use of the voluntary muscles, without
excessive fatigue, has not only an important influence on health, but
assists as well to develop perfect and well rounded brains, out of
which can only come those evenly balanced minds which create, out of
the power of intelligence, the blessings of human progress; whence only
come those level headed men, who are distinguished among yourselves
as being never wholly the product of learning. It is an axiom with
us, that he who does not produce has no right to consume, and this
doctrine has been so carried out in our society that physical inertia,
no matter how much attended with wealth, is exceedingly rare. As a
consequence, affluence with us is not beset with the terrible penalties
of ill health. The muscular body in all conditions of life is made to
act with the brain and nerves.
We shall suppose, now, our city has reached a period of its growth
equal in time to your decade. Its grand temple is not quite completed.
Its streets stretch away in the distance, none of them narrower than
a hundred of your feet, and some of them more than twice as wide,
to accommodate the airships and the larger warehouses. The lines of
uniform house fronts, relieved on the street corners by elevated
towers, reach out sufficiently far into the gradually changing suburbs
to give a hint of the long and beautiful perspectives that are to come.
From the center outwards there are reserved, at intervals of about a
half mile, spaces corresponding with the area of two blocks, which make
a circular belt around the whole. These are cultivated and embellished
in the highest style of gardening and landscape art. Here are located
our public baths, statues, monuments, conservatories, and arenas for
athletic sports. These pleasure grounds, so convenient and accessible,
diversify our city life with a taste and flavor of the country. Our
city grows in a solid expansion. There are no straggling suburbs, like
yours. Blocks are erected together, and always in continuation of the
appropriated space adjoining them. The intercourse and demeanor of our
population are, as you may expect, unlike yours. The general air of
serenity and contentment, the uniform politeness, and the absence of
degradation, with its frequent unpleasant and disgraceful episodes,
mark the difference between your city population and ours.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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