New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-01
MRS. DAyIS on FREE LoVE ONCE MORE.

Last Word from Mrs, Davis" for in Transmitting IL to
you In my private note, declared IT TO hc my last word
ana am more Than sorry that your apparently forced
mScon'iructon of that letter compels me to ash tho
favor OF further space in your columns not for my
sake, but FOR the sake Of many others
lshall not be sptcfu or saugy for unfortunately
overload of The little amenities and courteics Of life
III were going to be hanged, should like degree Of
dainty dclicacy In the exccutioncr hence again thank
you for your compliments. which, doubt not are sin
ccrc: bat, sr am mpclod TO say hero that those OK
pIesions OF respect Of which you make such frequent
use toward me- seem covcTt'y doligncd to make more
! insidous tho poison your pen dlstlils.
| Icannot regard it as altogether a compliment 20 10
considered by you and innocent, Tor at
that your Idea Of Free Love Is that it Is simply tho
physical relation Of tie sexes ana that marriage Itself
means merely lcgtzed commerce. Honce am TO
infer that you mean to teach that the laws they stand
arc to and control all the relations OF the sexes
and that You would wrest from woman oil power OF
determining what shall be her relations TO ran leaving
her 10 he governed by man-nade laws and compel her
to endure in the future all the horrors of the past.
refrain from quoting your language, which did not.
! am confident, flow easily from your pen.
Let Inc ask, again, If am right In my Interpretation
Do You TO say that because two persons op
pOsite have made contract which they thought,
hoped, and believed would secure peace and happiness
for lie. that they shall be made together for
years If tloy should discover that they have made
! fatal mistaken In palmer words am to understand
that You would make legal WC7lItution etcrnai Such
seems The reading Of your agtclc and such teaching
from the public press makes tho moral sentlmeu pos
siblc which go easily licenses prostitution IN cities,
and reduces all tho lowest depths OF slavery.
This teaching that marriage may exist without love.
even In hate, Is that TO which am opposed. Where
rage sarctAcd by love. there Free Love obtains aud
rules SO far for the morale Of this question. The next
point H. who shall determine where marriage shah exist
tho man or the wOmani hold that woman shall make
the laws Q womJst have them govern the aGecious),
not man. On woman falls all the burdens Of marriage
She bears and tho children. II there IS TO be leg
5gtJn here, IL IA hers 10y right, by great law of
ure. Is II logical conclusion that marriage IS
only clvil contract and at tho time hold It
sacrament does tho Catholic Church-iudis sOlubc
am not afraid 20 trds human nature In freedom. Love
will fad rs own way to take care OF children. These
contingencies which trouble you much will ako care 81
Themselves when marriage is sauCtilod by" Free Love-"
not compelled by Circumstance. that unspinual god"
III tho design OF your language is TO fghten from
tho proper and words ana terms, II has
failed utcry for it must bo evident that only the most
oruOus twisting make those words mean other than
the highest continents. You may ri ;hten OF the
weaker Suffrage women, ana induce them 10 repudiIc
them. because they not yet sufficiently mbuod with
tic spirit philosophy of reform that they lose
ground by yielding a word To the enemy.
No. Sir, must have these very words, even II bad
men do them ni5cOnstrue and prostitute them to
vile purposes, sorry that you know 30 many bad
mon and women. l know noble women by scores; unor
tunac, sad, aud broken hearted too, and some
noble mem enough to provo that all might be nO1ior
and better If they would learn tho law OF selgOvern
ment Alas! Sir my "balloon" fails ascend Into the
clouds; it Is chained to earth by human the
which come from q system which you yourself say has
for so many generations "worked but nd reutly we'll"
Wherever divorces difficult to obtain, ilcmurdcr
is "a most frequent crime, and sometimes husband
takes his chance. TIs particularly the case IA En-
gland long before any Of these dturbcrs of the peace
appeared.
YOu point us to'twO husbands who reject the tyranny
of marriage ana rush 60 tho OF the prostitute AMI
this you call Free Love-" Iasscrt that there is not
element Of love In the act II IL simply the Crosse5t lust,
reedng with tho foul breath pollution. that is poison
ing our homes. These men, mad with passion, shoot
each and what matters tl The act was an excel
lent commentary upon the laws which such make.
They were undoubtedly strong advocates OF these laws,
for such u the OF who demand the complete
subugaton OF woman and render real love almost an
iniposslhiity. These bdeOus crimes which seem u
startle YOU from dream but the elimination OF Your
system Of civilization. They nO new manifestation
OF deprayiy From the Pdrarchs to the present hOur
men, en- nass have given loose rcin 20 their passions
what does polycay al over the land If this "a not
ifs soonl Men have not learned the alphabet Of love
they are governed alone by lust and woman degraded
by long oppression has the strength to refuse to be
one Of a dozen wives, or to cast on the HUSBAND VINO
forces TO her lips the cup OF bitterness.
You say Sir that deal in vague, meaningless phrases
that proposo no remedy for all these evils. do pro-
nose first that woman shall bo made politically mans
equal; that she shall have voice in making tno laws
y which gOyerned-ccond that as you ala ny 'ho
negro slaves Won shall by her. aid hor to gain educa-
tiop and pecuniary independence, removing from her
r,o necessity OF marrying home, md thus OF the
very altar perurng her own soul propose that man
at the altar shall not pciurc himself In the VOW 10
makes as no places the ring upon the brides uhSer en-
downing her with all his worldly goods, ana theh
keepng her forever paupor. l do propose
| ,on he
dieord hatred AMI strife, to die in infancy. or grow
ND In crime to fl prisons, and our pehteh'aHes'
and 10 make our cities unsafe TO i've H. 90 propose
that the instinct of parentage shall rise above Ae mere
animal instinct which il sufficient for propagatloh' Dut
NOT for Improvement OF even tho lower orders OF
| animals do propose that 1t shall be dlgnh'd
ly sentiment and by scientific knowledge
propose that when two persons IND that they nS'o
made sad bitter mistake tho fatal one OF their VeS'
that the woman shall not be placed under oah sho
sce relief from this bondage, any more than man ~
who easily slips the knot and is ready for new NE
have NOT proposed and do not propose, that they shi
| rush from ono union 10 aho'nJid, In0io Nciib"r
| gould cay they shall not again maiIg'
That is mattel 10 be decided by the parhds Son s,d
Prudence would dictate that, having made stu i
take care and caution should rue III We ttI1 ,ye
myself firmly heeye tal II n tHr t next [ so yea
tI1 so far as population Is cOncerlel, the Hu,I 49,
80 and physical defOrmiiies. During mat thn women
would learn be SclfSaprorhhg, ssyYrJetng, EEK
Women now DO, beautiful tasteful, even elegant, WIZ
/ su,ai means Women easily gather about th,n VIC
s si" ,d Pcnates. the orphaned child, the DID, worn
parent helpless and weak even the Gn Would f eae
- t1t, and purty; such purity for themselves 80
tIey demand in the Tomen th'y NARY. :, ,,,ro LOCO
"Nfbon fIs ohtafnt, then there can ne pure .lVVe'
n,ti"ns between the seXcs II this is all luca,
t me- 10 eay that If ideal IS high our Fes WI
| Poi n'rr.sunnliueIy elevated. confess lhdt mo
| ~, Sonteice ia your articl3 pcrpleXes me- his'
Dayis's vagarles may be fun 20 men Dut oean ~
ynmen" Know men arc but boys oi Iti So ~ IA
WI hat boys do like to tease and torment osrs ana
az, ti know their tricks and manners anu thhy
ssttis' a. oil manner OF disagreeabe thngs-plca
tey VIM i T rcservcs and stick their fingers IN the Jam
-