The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-10
SEATTLE. SUNDAY. JUNE 10.



No more stupid question Is propounded
than the current inquiry. SIS marriage q
failuref" You might as well ask, lis
business faiIure?' Men embark In
marriage as they do in business from a
variety Of motives; have vast variety Of
methods, q vast difference in ideals. II
we knew nothing of business except from
the records and testimony of bankruptcy
cases, prosecutions for misfeasance or mall
feasance in business, We should conclude
that no man ought TO embark in a COM
mcrcial career; 80 of marriage, If We knew
nothing OF IL save the records and testi-
mony Of divorce suits or Of those notori-
ously unhappy marriages that never seek
the relief OF divorce courts. but either take
30 fight, lead lives of infamous infidelity
within wedlock or sullenly ''grin and
bear" the consequences of their mistake
until death puts asunder what God never
Joined, We should think marriage a
failure" but We all know that II is the
wounded birds who always flutter; We all
know that there are thousands Of success
fui, upright, honest men of business who
are not obliged to go into court TO confess
the failure OF their methods or their In
capacity for commercial career; we all
know there are thousands of married
folks who never trouble the divorce courts
because they have no cause for serious dis
satisfaction.
There are hundreds Of men who are
incompetent to do business with
prudence or success. there are hundreds
meas methods and practice to be trusted,
and SO there are hundreds OF men and
women unfit TO adorn the marriage state.
They may lack virtue. self-control. forbear-
ance. capacity for love and self-sacrifice:
may have tyrannical, despotic. termsgsnt
tempers; they may lack physical and
mental salubri.y; they may marry from a
low motive; they may marry in lust to
repent At leisure: may marry for home ;
20 crafty social ambition, and of course,
from n spiritual and moral standpoint.
such persons "fail In the business" of mar
rIage. but this fact no more discredits the
marriage state nor justities the stupid
cynical inquiry, us marriage failure 2"
than the failure of q man TO do business
successfully, either through moral or
mental defects. justices the inquiry, as
business a failuref" We do not stop
doing business; we do not abandon CON-
mercial life because some people fail of
success or Disgrace il; why then the stupid
inquiry. ais marriages q faiiures"
Marriage is failure just as commercial
career IL failure which is subordina ted
90 low motives. sharp practice and inn
moral ideals. II man or woman mar.
ries without affection. Tor home. for social
advantage. or for some equally mercenary
thought, what business have they TO pro.
nouuce marriage failure" II they get
exactly what they bargained for9 II they
get more than they bargained for and a
mercenary. worldly marriage becomes by
happy evolution true marriage of affec.
tion. eonjugal loyalty and felicity they
surely have reason 10 congratulate them
selves, but IL they married from low mo-
tives aud got only what they bargainsd for
what business have they to be denouncing
"marriage failure" because they find no
spiritual sweetness in itf They took their
chance; they made their own marriage for
certain mereenary purposes. and il they
get what they married for what
''kiek have they coming any more than
man Who. doing business on low plane.
worshiping immoral ideals and violating
all the sound maxims of square business,
some day finds himself either failure or
felen1 To illustrate. Take these Amer.
tcan women, these taft hunters in petit.
coats. who. having money OF their own.
buy with their millions some impecunioas
furnished European eorones or title. In &
few years they want a divorce; they find
that they have married "a tssie !" they have
secured certain social consequence. and
yet shey grow angry when they nnd the
title handicapped By the fac, that the I'm
pecunioas English or French or Italian
"nob,eman" they have married Is nan
al Vulgar, dissolate habits. not seldom oi
rusIisnly boorish and hssharous manner,
and temper. The titled scapsgraee spend,
their money in low pleasures with low
women, aad these American girls, finding
teat As soon a. their noaey begins &
eNindie their titled husband whom they
have bought SsSins % trsai them ike =
tyrant, then they want = divorce ana ex-
pees sympathy, They don't deserve any.
They bought their husbands: they havs
had shs eehsns q his furnished title; they
have bad tAelr little DAY OF social dis.
tineiion:" they have eaten their cake and
are disappointed 10 and on, iaat IL 10 al
dough.
Marriage IS fsilare in their case: q
Wss = foreor1s.net. forsaooned failure.
because II vas negotiated from iow mo
tive: they have received al they had a
Tisht 90 expect. thev gell IN love with tae
plume Of dirty feathers IN my iasi's bat
they have haa the plane. ard nay lord hA,
had thsss mensy. = anyhoiy ehsA;ea !
i marriage fsaans because rich
woman from = las motive tho sells hersel
scdy and soal 70 eurnt-ous titled foreign
rAks, nn@s eat that OF lie spiritual ans