“You said that the occupations of women became varied and ceased to be domestic in a majority of cases; what effect did that have on marriage and divorce?” I enquired. “Various causes tended to make marriage almost universal and celibacy became the rare exception. The chief cause was the assumption by the state of the care and education of the children. Another was the ability of women to support themselves. Men did not feel it such a burden to be married when they did not have to greatly exert themselves for the support of either wife or children. Women did not feel it such a burden when they were released from the care and responsibility of a household of children and servants. Marriage moreover has become less of a lottery than in your day, because men and women meet each other in business relations in which they act their natural selves. Neither is obliged to marry in order to live, and less art and deceit are used for the purpose of entrapping a partner. The property of neither man nor woman is affected by marriage, and neither acquires any rights over the property of the other except, that each is bound to care and provide for the other in case of sickness or disability. There are fewer conditions that are liable to[125] produce inharmony, because greater freedom is conceded to the parties, and there are fewer points on which absolute unanimity is essential. Marriage is on the whole much happier than formerly, and although divorces are easily obtained they are much less frequent. These conditions have had a marked effect on the increase of population as you might suppose. There is no longer any temptation to avoid the natural results of marriage, and those unnatural expedients women formerly resorted to for that purpose, ruinous to health and morals, are now almost unknown. The health and strength of women have vastly improved. Women dress sensibly, and live natural hygienic lives, and the terrors of childbearing have practically vanished. As Americans took upon themselves the furnishing of native born citizens to people this country, immigration from Europe fell off rapidly and practically ceased sixty years ago. But notwithstanding this, the population has more than doubled three times, and for the territory that formed the United States in your day it is now over 600,000,000.”
“Six hundred millions!” I repeated. “What an enormous number! It takes my breath to think of it. Is it possible so many people can be supported in that territory? Nearly all the really valuable land seemed to be taken up when the population was but 70,000,000.”
“Aye,” said he, “six hundred millions are easily supported, and supported in greater comfort than when the population was but 70,000,000; and they may even double several times more before the capacity of the country is exhausted.”
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“I am amazed at what you say,” said I, “but there must be a limit. Let me see, if 600,000,000 are doubled three times it will amount to 4,800,000,000. Is it possible the land could produce food and clothing for so many; and yet from what you say about the rate of increase that enormous number of people will be in this country before the end of the twenty-first century.”
“We will not cross that bridge till we come to it,” he answered, “we will explain that when we come to look forward into the twenty-first century. It is true we shall find a limit. The breeding instinct of any race of animals, not excepting man, would if unchecked and unopposed in the course of time absolutely fill up the earth till it could support no more. Man has for many ages been the dominant animal of the earth. Yet he has failed to stock the world to its capacity or anywhere near it for reasons you can easily supply yourself. In the first place the profession of arms or the art of keeping down the population by war has always held the most honorable rank among human employments; second the human race has been the absolutely helpless victim of pestilence and plague. Hundreds of different kinds of microbes, vibrios, bacteria and zymases have from age to age apparently whenever they saw fit, or thought men were getting too numerous, unseen and unsuspected, planted their colonies in their vital organs, and swarmed in their blood, living at their expense and sweeping them to death by myriads and millions. Next, men were at the mercy of the elements both on sea and land. Whenever[127] a crop failed from drought or flood there followed a famine, and millions were periodically swept away by gaunt starvation, because there was no way of conveying to a needy district, the superabundance that might exist in another. But even where all nature was favorable, and nations happened to be at peace there was always the native and hereditary stupidity of the individual that blinded him to all rational ways of taking care of himself or his dependents and made it impossible for him to rear to maturity more than one out of five of his children. Thus many causes conspired to kill people off almost as fast as they were born and sometimes faster, and many times to prevent them from being born when they ought to have been. These inimical causes have all practically been eliminated. The destructive agencies supplied by nature for limiting the increase of the population having been set at defiance by art, it is evident that art must likewise find a way for limiting the increase of population, or else sometime in the future that increase will by its very success put a stop to itself, and the brutal methods of untamed nature again assert themselves. After all, art is only a subdivision of nature. It may modify the action of nature as to details, but cannot set aside the principles that govern it.”
“You spoke a little while ago of the territory of the United States, as it was in my day. This would appear to intimate that the boundaries have changed since then, is that so?”
“Well yes, you will think so, when you know that the United States of the present day covers[128] the entire Continent of North America, and embraces besides, New Zealand, Australia, the English Colonies in South Africa, Ireland, Cuba and most of the West India Islands, and numerous islands in the Pacific ocean. I see this astonishes you and I will proceed to tell you how it happened. If we begin at the beginning, it appears to have been very largely due to the construction of railroads in Asia by the Russians; that is it, would never have happened if these roads had not been built. The great transcontinental Siberian road was completed from St. Petersburg to Vladivostock on the Pacific ocean in 1904 and formally opened with a great flourish by the Russian emperor. The Russians were not entirely satisfied however with this road. It was essential as a military road, and as a means of settling a vast extent of fertile country in Siberia, but as a commercial line it did not meet their rather sanguine expectations.
“Their ambition was to monopolize the trade between China and Europe. The new road by going around the east side of Mantchooria instead of through it to Pekin, imposed on that trade an unnecessary transportation of 1800 miles. They saw directly that they needed a line to Pekin and Teentsin, from Irkutsk. They obtained a concession from the Chinese government and built this line for commercial purposes. Then, later, they found it desirable to build another line west of the first and reaching the ocean at Shanghai. They also tapped the western part of the Chinese empire by a line from Bokara.
[129]
“From these lines others soon grew, commanding the business of the country and mostly owned by the Russians. In no long time jealousy of the enterprising “foreign devils” on the part of some of the more conservative and reactionary of the Chinese, led to outrages on their part which furnished a good pretext for military occupation of the country and finally to its conquest and annexation by the Russians. These encroachments of the Russians had been bitterly, but ineffectually opposed by the English. Their opposition provoked the Russians to place England on the defensive with regard to her Indian possessions so they pushed their railway line through Tartary to the very borders of northwestern India and threatened it with a large army of invasion. The Hindoos who had for years been waiting for such an opportunity to throw off the British yoke now revolted. They had been taught the art of war by their masters and now practiced it upon them, turning upon their teachers the weapons they had put into their hands and taught them to use. The very soldiers that were counted on to repel the Russians took their side against the English. Between the Russians and the Indians the British power in India was totally crushed, and several independent kingdoms were set up under Russian protection. France also assisted Russia in this war, especially on the ocean. British commerce was almost destroyed by Russian and French cruisers. After the war was over these two nations almost monopolized the Indian trade under discriminating commerce regulations, the Russians[130] by land carriage over their railway and the French by sea. In the end the Russians became masters of almost the whole of Asia. Turkey was dismembered, the city of Constantinople and all Asiatic Turkey falling to the Russians.”
“Professor, in my day there was a great war between Russia and Japan, which you have not mentioned. Was it not a factor in the settlement of the Asiatic questions?”
“No, it did not assist in making a settlement, for none was made, its only effect was to postpone a settlement. The events I have narrated were greatly to the advantage of the United States. The destruction of England’s commerce largely involved her manufacturers also, and in like degree made room for and stimulated those of the United States. Her trade with all the British Colonies soon eclipsed that of the mother country herself. As the tremendous natural resources of the United States became more and more developed under the energy and skill of the most enlightened methods, the contrast between America and England enforced itself on the attention of all.
“Treaties looking to the abolition of war, and the settlement of all international questions by arbitration had already been adopted between the United States and Great Britain and her Colonies, and there had been a strong feeling and agitation for a closer political union of all the English speaking people. The aggressive foreign policy of England stood in the way of this. But to her, this aggressive policy appeared essential. She had held India, Birmah and large territories in[131] Africa, by conquest, and her trade to these countries depended on her continued military control over them.
“After the war with Russia and France in which she lost India, her commerce, and her prestige, England still felt her only chance for retaining her importance as an influential factor in the politics of the world, to be in cultivating her interests in Birmah and Africa. She could colonize neither of these countries to any great extent. All she could do was to conquer and rule them and compel them to trade with her on terms that turned all their surplus wealth into her coffers—as she had done in India. Her misfortunes had soured her temper and made her more truculent and bulldozing than ever. Her manner towards her colonies changed. They had been of little or no assistance to her in her struggle with Russia, and had but little sympathy with her foreign policy and the truculent and aggressive bearing towards weaker nations that had made her to be thoroughly unpopular in some parts of the world. England now began to resent the cold attitude of the colonies toward her, and to talk of the duty of the daughters towards the mother. She began to be sorely pinched for money. The war had doubled her already enormous debt, and halved her resources. The number of her unemployed at home had greatly increased by reason of the diminution of her trade and the foreign demand for her manufacturers. Taxation enormously increased and the rich were reduced to poverty in providing for the poor. Millions emigrated to America and to the[132] colonies, generally people of the thrifty and productive classes, thereby reducing the resources of the country without diminishing her liabilities. She now proposed to the colonies to tax themselves for her benefit. This they were not inclined to do. They were all comparatively poor. They needed all the money they could raise for public improvements in their own settlements. Most of them were heavily in debt. Canada was hopelessly so, practically bankrupt in fact. Finally the colonies all declined to be taxed for the benefit of the mother country. The condition of affairs in the British empire gave a great impulse to the idea of confederation with the United States. The plan gained favor rapidly with the colonies. No nation on earth was so prosperous then, or possessed of such vast resources as the United States. The country was out of debt and enormously wealthy.
“Her army was small, but she had a powerful navy. She was respected by all the world and had great influence, as much from her fairness and justice to other nations as from her known reserved power and ability to enforce justice to herself. The British felt the need of an alliance that would place them in the front rank of nations again, and all the branches of the empire appeared anxious for the consolidation with the United States. This country was desirous of obtaining Canada, and this made it the more ready to adopt the union, because it was supposed it must be with all or none. As this country was by far the most populous number of the proposed union, it was conceded that Washington should be the capital[133] of the new empire. The constitution of the United States was taken as the basis of the new government with certain modifications. The President and Vice President were to be elected by direct vote of the people, a plurality to elect. They were to serve six years only. They could not both be from the same continent or state. The President was not to have the veto power. The Representatives were to be 600 in number apportioned among the states according to population. The senate was to consist of 100 members elected by the people. The term of office for both houses was to be two years. Each natural division as a continent or island or group of islands was to be divided into senatorial districts following state boundaries when practicable, but throwing together small states or fractions of large ones when necessary to give the proper quota of population. All bills were to originate in the House of Representatives, but were also to pass the senate before becoming laws; but that body could not alter or amend—only veto or approve, and the House could pass any bill in spite of the senate by a two thirds vote. The President was to appoint his cabinet with the approval of the senate, but all or any one was to be required to resign upon a vote of “want of confidence” by the House of Representatives. Both the President and Vice President could be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of both House and senate and a new election ordered to fill the unexpired term.
“There was to be free trade amongst all the states under this constitution and also between[134] these states and foreign nations except that a tariff on importations might be imposed when ordered by a three-fourths vote of the Congress. The general revenue was to be collected by the County Commissioners and Treasurers of the counties of the several states, such officers being for such purpose, officers of the general government, and levying such rate of tax as ordered by the law of Congress in addition to the taxes ordered by the state, county, city, ward, or school district authorities.
“Suffrage was to be restricted to men and women who could read and write the English language. Foreign immigrants were not to be permitted to settle in colonies in any of the states or to maintain public schools—except high schools—in which any other than the English language is used.
“No state could engage in aggressive foreign war, but might repel invasion. Only the general government could engage in war.
“This scheme of government was prepared by a joint commission appointed for the purpose, and submitted to the people of the several countries interested, the British Colonies, each separately, England, Ireland, the United States and Scotland. All the colonies, the United States and Ireland voted for the plan; England and Scotland voted against it. They were dissatisfied with the provision prohibiting them from going to war. They had always enjoyed this luxury and were loth to be deprived of it. They had hoped the plan of union would allow them to pursue their schemes of settlement[135] and annexation as before with the right to call on the confederation for succor in case they were hard pressed by foreign enemies. They argued indeed that actual active assistance would never in any probable event be required, because with the mere moral support of such formidable backing they felt sure that almost any nation would put up with any amount of insult and injury rather than resent it against such odds.
“It was supposed by many that the failure of Great Britain to ratify the general constitution would defeat the whole scheme. But the colonies and Ireland had become very much in favor of it, and hated to be balked by what they termed the selfish action of the mother country; and they demanded her consent to the union, of as many as might choose to join it without her. She was in no condition to resist their demands if they should choose to enforce them. But it would have been folly to have come to blows or even to words over such a question. The colonies had never been a source of profit to England, but rather a bill of expense. She traded with them, but did not possess a monopoly of their trade, and paid their tariff dues the same as other people. The United States enjoyed a larger trade with Canada than she, and had almost driven her out of the trade with several of her own West India Islands. Whatever the position might be that she held with reference to this commerce, it would not be made worse by this proposed union, but rather better, for free trade would take the place of tariffs. She would also enjoy free trade with the United States, which[136] alone was worth to her a dozen colonies. The union of England with her colonies was chiefly one of sentiment. They governed themselves according to their own ideas, and were practically so many independent nations, which she was in sentiment bound to protect when they got into trouble, but which had little or nothing to give her in return for her maternal solicitude and worry. Their relationship to her tended to make them impertinent and presumptuous in their intercourse with other nations. Canada in particular by her bumptiousness had more than once come very nearly involving her in ruinous war with the United States, in which her loss would have been the destruction of her commerce, and her only gain, the loss of her pert colony. All these points were discussed by the English. It was urged that if Britain tried to keep the Colonies against their will, the time would surely come when she would have to give them up against hers. They recalled the Controversy with the United States and reflected how much better it would have been for England if she had permitted them to go off as friends rather than enemies. And they averred that if she should give her cordial approbation to the new union and send off the colonies with the maternal blessing to join their big brother Jonathan, it would go far toward curing the unfilial, but not entirely causeless feeling of bitterness he had entertained for her since 1776 and 1812.
“As a result of all these reflections and many more of the same sort, the conclusion was finally reached and the parliament gave its solemn sanction[137] to the new State, but with characteristic foresight exacted one promise to which all the states acceded before the final act was consummated, and that was, that the said new nation should forever be the friend of Great Britain and in case her existence as a nation were threatened it should be bound to interpose in her behalf, and if necessary take up arms in her defense. The name proposed for the new nation was the “Pan Anglic union.” When England failed to ratify, “Pan” was dropped, and the name became simply the “Anglic union.” But it was playfully nicknamed the “Lion’s Cubs,” the “Old Hen’s Chickens” etc.”
“When did these things happen?” I inquired.
“They were finished by the year 1950,” he replied.
“Did not the various states have to do considerable remodeling of their forms and procedure to fit them for this consolidation?”
“Very little, their governments were all much like that of the United States. Like this country, they had already turned over to the control of the state all monopolies, such as railroads, and had reached the same conclusions as to money, the suffrage, taxation and most other questions. They had their legislatures and executive and judicial branches of government, all about alike. Ireland had for a decade or more enjoyed home rule. She came into the new union as two states, Ulster and South Ireland. These were soon afterward reconsolidated into one—Ireland—the causes that led to their separation, viz, religious jealousy and the teaching of religion in the schools having been[138] eliminated by the severance of all connection between church and state, which the new constitution required.
“The new nation had hardly got settled down to business, before new annexations and consolidations were proposed and after much hesitation and reflection were agreed to. Mexico, Central America and Japan proposed to come into the union, and shortly after Chili and Argentine made application for admission. The fact is that in forming the “Anglic union” the promoters were building far more than they realized. Time had without their knowing it reached a new epoch, and was about to turn over a new leaf. Men were becoming educated and mentally developed by strides instead of inches, by moles instead of molecules. In forming the “Anglic union” they had given expression to a new feeling into which mankind was just being born, a feeling of human brotherhood, a new instinct that drew men together and acquainted them with the fact that they were all the result of common natural causes and animated by common loves and hopes and fears. It showed them they were not naturally and necessarily enemies, but might and ought to be friends and mutually helpful to each other. It was the beginning of the end of war, the epoch of peace and good will.
“When they began to think of taking other than English speaking nations into the “Anglic union,” it was at once perceived that the name was inadequate, and so was the constitution. The name was changed to “The Great union” and the constitution[139] was amended in regard to the official language so far as the non-English speaking nations were concerned. English however was to be taught in these nations and it has gradually superseded the other languages. Schools have everywhere been established, and the church has been rigidly separated from the state. The state protects the church, but contributes nothing to its support, nor does it compel any unwilling citizen to contribute to its support by the exemption of its property from its due proportion of taxation.”
“Have any other nations joined the Great union up to the present time besides those you have mentioned?”
“None others have been admitted into full membership as equal states, but all the states of South America have been taken under the protection of the “Great union.” They are being settled and developed by northern people and the native population gradually ............