Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-06
PROF. SUMMER ON MARRIAGE.

Prof. w. g.. Sumner, of Yale, is gull
ty of the heinous crime Of reviving the
once widely-discussed question: us
marriage failure?'' Prof. Sumner
did this before a class of Yale seniors
the other day, discouraging great
number of young men thereby and
proving himself no friend of the mar
riageable young women of New Haven
and vicinity. The learned pedagog dld
not exactly PROFOUND the ancient ques-
ton about marriage but he declared
positively that 80 per cent of the mar
Fiages of the present day did not re-
suit in the realization of ideals. Prof.
Sumner should know that in this un-
romantic day of machinery, steam and
lubricating oil people who marry real
ize that they are not wedding angels
but only bits of poor human clay
whose faults are manifold. People
nowadays understand machinery and
know that it requires oil and patience
to make it run smoothly. Further
more they understand that human be-
ings and marriage and all that are
either machines or parts OF the ma
.chinery of the world of civilization and
must be coaxed and oiled and kept in
repair if friction is to be avoided. Men
and women of the present day marry
for many reasons, some good and some
bad, but they do not marry because
they believe they have found their
ideals.
Other great educators and students
hold different opinions from Prof.
Summers. They take the common
sense and utility view of marriage and
not the ideal view. Therefore, in their
eyes, marriage is not such bad thing
after all. President Eliot, of Harvard,
said when Prof. Summers statement
was shown to him:
II don't believe Prof. Sumner could
have said so ridiculous a thing. 1t
seems to me quite impossible, but if
what is attributed TO him is true, I
certainly do not agree with him, and
l think, moreover, that he has ven-
tured on ground where such positive
statements as his cannot be viewed
intelligently in any other light than
that in which view them. 1t is RI
|diculous to say that 80 per cent of the
marriages in this country result un-
happily, and it is ridiculous to affirm
that marriages are made more rashly
now than in former years.
Col. Thomas Higginson seemed
much surprised.
"Oh, he's wrong, very wrong" said
he. Il can't imagine what can be
1.-THE groundwork for such beliefs as his.
The world is not getting worse. 1t is
getting better and believe this fact
is shown just as plainly in the mar
ried life of young people as it is in any
other way. / do not want to criticist
Prof. Sumner too severely, but be
lieve il the statement were revised and
he had said that 80 per cent resulted
happily, he would have come neare,
the truth"
| Mrs. Alice Freeman Palmer, forme.
president Of Wellesley college, hoped
that Prof. Sumner did not make suct
| a statement.
My long experience said Mrs
Palmer, .'has covered thousands of col
lege graduates, women married and in
their own homes, and I have founc
them to be almost invariably happy
Prof. Summers statement regarding
early marriages is incorrect, according
to known statistics. College men anG
women are now postponing marriage
in many cases for financial reasons
The majority of college men believe
they cannot afford to marry young. /
admit that weddings are unnecessarily
extravagant, but then we are living in
an extravaganza age. As for the trag-
edies Of married life, they are found
to be sure, but I think seldom among
college men and women. 1t is not