Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-06-23
RADICAL REFORM,
There Are Some Things Don't Like to See.

There Are Some Things Don't Like to Sse."
BY LUE F. VERNON.
| This has been q dull season, you
might cay for newspaper readers who
have a turn for controversy and like
something craggy to break their
minds on, SO to speak.
The Russia-Japan war news has
occupied the stage, receiving encore
after encore, and making big hit
with the newspaper men, thus shut
ting out entirely and completely any
subject that might have taken up a
little space, with a matter that would
create discussion and debate among
those who have other ideas aside from
Russia-Japan war, Equitable Life AS
sursnce, Mrs. Chadwick, and Nan
Patterson topics, or even politics. But
We are not to be distanced entirely, in
the matter of "things to talk about"
The suggestion of a physician in an
Eastern city that "mixed bathing"
should be permitted in public baths,
and Mr.. George Meredith's overwhelm-
ing proposal that we should establish
what he calls terminable marriages"
are two subjects which no doubt will
find great interest in the brain OF
readers of the newspaper, who as
have heretofore remarked, "have a
turn for controversy and like some-
thing craggy to break their minds on"
With the first l am not at present
concerned. have waded through all
that has appeared on all sides of both
subjects, the which feel in duty
bound to do as faithful observer of
peoples follies. But mixed bathing in
public baths is not topic which ex-
cites my enthusiasm to any notable
extent, and am not disposed, there
lore, to disturb my grey mattcr-what
little l have-over the subject.
With the Meredithian marriage,
now, the case is somewhat different.
Not many folk, fancy, take bathing,
either mixed or otherwise, very seri-
Ously. But with matrimony every
body who takes it at all is bound to
take it very, very seriously indeed
there is no help for it. And for this
reason, when a great master OF Eng
lish literature like Mr.. Mere dith SOL
emnly and deliberately asseverates
that the only way to overcome the
Increasing reluctance OF the bachelor
TO don the matrimonial yoke is to
enact that marriages should be term.
Unable at the end of ten years-well,
the matter is one that must be in
quired into. Of course, you have to
make allowances for the point of view.
Marriages are made in heaven, 10 the
estimation OF all old-fashioued and
clean'thinking people. But Meredith.
ian marriages seem, for the most part,
to be made in the other place, and it is
TO provide relief for those feeble souls
who, having voluntarily shouldered the
burden of duty which marriage in.
wolves, lack the courage TO bear the
consequences OF their actions that Mr..
Meredith expands his theory of tenn.
porary marriages. He puts il thus:
One day these present conditions of
marriage will be changed. Marriage
will be allowed for certain period,
say ten years, Orwell, l do not want
to specify any particular time. The
State will see that sufficient money is
put up during that time to provide for
and educate children" And he goes
on to explain. the dissatisfied person.
the one, that is to say, who is the
most anxious to escape the conse.
quences of his or her action-will be
compelled to accept the responsibility
of the children. Poor children!
OF course this sort of unearthly talk
is not new-no newer than the various
problems which the institution OF mar.
riage involves. Quite two thousand
years ago, doctrines extremely like
those of George Meredith we're pro-
mulgated, and, coming to more recent
times, We have here in our own coun.
try many examples OF more or less
successful attempts to solve the great
problem with which, happily, most of
Us are only faced once in the course of
our journey through what Sairey
Camp POLITICALLY termed "this wale."
And in England, in years that have
passed, . custom called " handfasting"
was much in vogue.
The parties to the transaction were
wont to agree to live together for a
year and day, on trial, and At the
end of that period, if the experience
turned out mutually satisfactory, they
were married. If it didn't, we'll, each
went their separate ways, but-snd it
is on this but" that all such purely
arbitrary and plstonic schemes. it
seems to me, are predestined to be
wrecked-but tho dissatisfied one was
morally, if not legally, bound to pro-
vide for the unfortunate Offspring of
such irresponsible union.
Perhaps Mr.. Meredith and those
who think as he seems to think, are of
opinion that we have reached the
stage of which a return to the "hand.
fasting" days of yore, as we're per-
mitted in England once upon a time,
is desirable. Personally don't.
That some persons do, however, is
undeniable, which fact is really the
reason why / have thought it worth
your while and mine to no tice this
great and important matter.
The newspapers which are running
this controversy are printing no end
Of letters from persons who are, ap
parently quite certain that the only
solution of the problem is that men
and women should marry early and
often. And the most discouraging
circumstance is that the majority of
these letters are written by women.
One OF these accepts the Mereditbian
proposal, whole-heartedly, with one
slight reservation. Why make the
limit ten yearsi she asks. Why not
five? As to which l might be permit
ted to add q question of my Own,
which somehow, to my old fashioned
notions. seem to round it of. 1t is
simply this: Why marry At all?
For, look you, these people who so
glibly and callously discuss and dis.
pose of the most delicate and Intricate
problems of human life get on my