Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-04
A PRACTICAL FREE.LOVER.
The Results of a NIOnstrOus Doc.
tfine.

Mr.. Franklin Burlingame sends the following :
M. Editor:-In order that the community
may know me for just what am, and be per-
fectly free to govern themselves accordingly, l
Will state as Clearly as / may my position In
regard to the principles involved in the scandal
which has just been publicly thrust upon me.
The details in which so many unkind and un.
true things are said OF me will not now ask
your space to discuss. As have been, more or
less. representative for several years of class
Of social and religious elements desire to treat
the matter as representative condition and
consider 1t more in its relations with public
morals and its influence upon the public wei
fare than with individual interests. The courts
VIII probably develop the truth In regard to the
details. and the result will have greater infiu.
ence upon the public Judgment.
munity are that have abandoned the Chris
tan church, become an lnf1del, spiritualist
and free lover. To all OF these charges de.
sire promptly and frankly to plead guilty.
am opposed 10 the church; will do what can
TO neutralize its errors, superstitions and hor-
rible absurdtties / am an inf1del; will be
qnfalthful to the church and its institutions
after the change called death. l am a free
lover; | own my body. mind and soul. l de-
mand freedom, and Will stand alone when re.
quired to maintain 1t.
believe our Industrial, social, political and
reilgious systems are rotten to the core. will
do what can to institute new and better ones.
@ oeslre to see freedom, justice and equity es-
life, II need be, for the purpose.
viii not trespase upon your space further,
except TO say that the woman whose reputa-
so malicious an attack. She mas been in This
community but few short months. She has
SHOWN herself to be modest, gentle quiet
woman. with heart filled with love and sym
patny for the human race, purpose In life as
exalted as any which ever Inspired a human
soul, and head as clear In advocating her
methods OF accomplishment as any which was
ever COnSecfaLeQ 10 so noble purpose.
FRANKLIN BURLINGAME.
we give MIR. Burlingame the full benefit of
his explanation. but imagine 1t will not help
him much with the public He admits that he
is free lover and seeks to Justify his abandon
ment OF his family by his own immortality In
carrying out his free-loye doctrines. That is
substantially his defence. AS to the charges
contained In the application for divorce there
are numerous witnesses who can testify to the
truth OF some OF them. It Is true that Bur
nngsme lett his wife while she was seriously Ill
ana ne took from the house every article
OF furniture except the bed upon which She was
lying. He did not even leave her a cup
out OF which to take dr1nk OF water. He sew
eral umeS threatened to take the bed from
under her. He declared himself free lover 10
ms VIE; told her they had been married
twenty years. and that their magnetism" had
where for magnetism. He did orer to ON eve EMS ss
WE snelter In the same house, where he was
LOG LOGGED - with n another woman, and to which
place he wanted to take bis new magnetic
name OF the feminine gender into the same
mouse With his wife. This the latter would
lot allow. Then 1t was that he took
away the furniture While his wife was still
very LII. and after her condition had been dis
covered by nefghbOrS, Burlingame authoriz q
person to say to bis wife that il she had recov-
ered from her hallucination (that the marriage
tle was Dind1ng) she might come and live In the
mousse with him, but mot as his Wife," ais
ch1ldren were neglected and uncared for. but
ne di0, at last, oner to feed and shelter them In
the house where he had taken up his abode,
His little daughter. nine years OF age. mad
eitner to depend upon strangers or to re-
main In a house where she constantly
witnessed her fathers shame. Burlin.
against his wife, except that she no
longer exercised magnetic influence over his
Iree-IoVe heart. She is described by all who
Know ner as most excellent woman, who has
noDly fulfilled the duties OF wife and mother,
borllngame and his wife are both well known
mere. He has had charge of the Capitol news
staDo 1or some years past, and 1t has long been
q common remark that she uid all the work
mere she was In attendance upon the stand
early and late, while Burlingame generally took
thlngs easy. Burl1ngame also has q clerkship
10 the census bureau. His shameful desertl0n
OF his Vile and children Is q fact known to all
Inc residents OF 'ShermanS row." where the
Iamiiy resided before it was broken up.
THIS Illustration OF the practical workings OF
the free love" doctrine Is not calculated to
commend 1t to public favor.