CHAPTEE XIII 



POLYGAMY 



It is clear from our examination of the principles of 

 heredity that the society in which the female sex is 

 systematically downtrodden or enslaved pursues a 

 suicidal course, and that the secret of human pro- 

 gress lies in the freest recognition of the rights of 

 the individual woman. If there is one lesson more 

 forcibly taught by heredity than another, it is that 

 the interests of the sexes are absolutely solidaire. 

 Treated as serfs, as mere instruments for the grati- 

 fication of passion, denied education and the right 

 of choosing their consorts, women exact a terrible 

 penalty from the ensuing generations of men. What 

 is the experience of the world in tliis respect ? We 

 shall see. 



Polygamy is the practice of the majority of the 

 human race. It is the keystone of the great religious 



