The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-06
NAYuRAL sIATRrMoNy.

1
not be recognized by the majority of
our readers. They viii probably re-
member better Tennessee Clahin or
Tennie. as she use to be Familiarity
called. She is now Lady Cook and we
suppose is happily wed. 1t is to be
hoped that she viii stay so, as the
lady's idea Of the binding force Of the
marriage tie is not quite so strict as
that held by most folks.
We do not publish the letter. because
it is too long and also in places too
broad. Lady Cook has not lost the
vigor of expression and Indifference to
conventionality which somewhat dis
tinguished Tennessee Clafiin, and while
there are some ideas in the letter which
are worthy of consideration, we are Of
the opinion that they had better not
be placed before the public through
these columns in the form they assume
in the letter received.
Crime, the lady contends, is not al
ways that which is punishable by law,
and she goes 50 far as to claim that
some laws are more criminal than
the -offences against which they were
directed; that they have been fre-
quently used to manufacture crime in
those who have neither injured the in
dividual nor the community; that even
Ibeneficent actions have been treated as
public offenses; and that public offences
and private injuries of the gravest
character have been completely over
looked" So that one cannot always
Judge Of the good or evil of a thing or
even of its magnitude by calling it
crime.
The necessity Of obeying the laws
which make certain things crimes when
they are not so per Sc. is entirely
omitted in her argument. But the pur-
pose Of it is to show the enormity of
some common actions which are not
counted as crime in the laws of men.
Chief among these. in her estimation,
is the union of men and women when
unsuited to each other and when either
or both are unfit to assume the marital
relation. The benedictisn Of a priest
Or indeed a ceremony of any kind
count for little with Lady Cook.
Unnatural unions" she says, "are not
marriages" True marriage she de-
fines as. "A natural and spontaneous
union Of ideas. aims and sympathies.
And where these exist, rites and cere-
monies are superfuous."
OF course we do not endorse all her
conclusions. While it is true that with
out true union Of soul and sympathy
a mere ceremony counts for little in
the determination Of what is real
marriage. at the same time rites and
forms are necessary ana contracts are
binding, and it is a dangerous thing
10 society to make them appear as of
little or no value.
But the gist of the letter is in the
proposition to make a medical board
of examination, composed of experts
Of both sexes, give the certificate Of
permission TO marry instead Of leaving
it to the clergy Physical fitness is
what is aimed at in the argument
for the production Of healthy. pure
and vigorous offspring, and the pre-
vention of the poisoning Of the life
springs Of humanity by permitting the
diseased and polluted to assume the
of matrimony.
Very extreme views on this point
are advanced, even to the extent of
sterilizing those who are unfit to he
through immortality. The
scientific Improvement of the race is
the theme of her discourse. and we
give this much notice Of it because
in spite Of its bold and somewhat
impractical suggestions, it directs At
tention to great truth which must
at some time claim the attention Of !
the advanced thinkers of the world
The improvement of stock engages
The efforts of men. The breeding Of |
horses and other animals is considered
subject worthy Of scientific and |
endeavor But the genera
tons Of humanity are left without |
much Of guide, and passion. con-
and heedlessness as to CON
produce such efforts as are
seen in the masses of human beings
today-in the enlightened nineteenth
century,
As the effects Of enlightened reg1,la-
ion in the mating Of the fittest the
writer Of the letter gives the follow
ng' which is the concluding paragrapb
Marriage then would be sacred
privilege; it would be highly valued
md SO held in much honour: if ,vonId
oe mark Of the worthiest. and Womb i
to general emulation IN WORTH
n a word, IL would be a reign of the
it, instead. as now, of the unit e.
'iety would stamp out disease and
'rime' as it has stamped out the FINDER
'est Under such conditions what a
glorious country woald this old Eng
and Of ours be? Modesty and man
lood would stand foremost. Wealth
would give place TO worth. Beauty
md Vigor would be everywhere visible
me dream of the psalmist would be
called. Our sons would grow up "as
he young palm trees, and our daugh-
ers like the polished corners &c ~.