Page:The rights of women and the sexual relations.djvu/132

116 of them a mutual galley to which the one has chained the other as his slave, is to be considered as an act which can never be corrected. This is certainly logical; for the infallible stupidity of theology surely cannot be corrected.

Just as it is a truth which must never be lost sight of that progress of society in one direction can never be thought of by itself alone, so it is also impossible to bring about a true married and family life without a general revolution of social ideas and conditions. This does not, however, preclude those, who can in themselves make up for or do without this general revolution from demanding freedom from legal bonds, or from anticipating it; nor does it preclude the law from even now being shaped with a view to the anticipated conditions of the future. I believe that even on the basis of our present conditions no danger would accrue to society if the law should decree the following:

1) A marriage shall be dissolved when both parties demand a dissolution, and

a) declare that their economical relations are completely settled, which declaration shall absolve them from all future obligations;

b) documentarily testify that they have agreed about the support and education of their children, which agreement shall be mutually maintained with legal assistance. Legal assistance shall be rendered gratis.