The Washington herald., 1906-11-18
SCORE MRS. PARSONS
Bishop Satterlee and Others
Condemn Marriage Ideas.
MINISTERS TO OPPOSE IT
Mrs. Mussey Declares that Unions
W0uId Lower Instead of Raise the
Standard of Morality - Relieves
Men should Be as Moral as Women.
What others Think of Question.

Such an arrangement would mean the
absolute unmaking OF marriage relations.
and would result in the degradation of all
women" This was all that Rev Dr.
Henry Y. Satterlee. Bishop Of the Arch
/ diocese OF Washington, would say last
night when asked for an interview on
the advocacy Of experimental weddings
by Mrs. Elsie Clews Parsons, in her book
] THE Family"
Extracts were pesented in The Wash
/ ington Herald yesterday and aroused
storms Of comment and criticism
/ Mrs. Parsons arrived in Washington
last night, and Is at her home, 1229 Nine
| teenth street northwest. She declined
to be interviewed.
Mrs Ellen Spencer Mussey expressed
herself as violently opposed to such we'd
dings as proposed by Mrs. Parsons.
such a probationary system would un-
doubtedly be taken advantage of and
lower instead Of raise the standard OF
morality Of the civilized world" she said
yesterday. Mrs Mussey agrees with Mrs.
Parsons on q number OF points, but, as she
states, violently disagrees with the sug-
gestion as a whole. AS TO the perma-
nency Of the marriage relation. am op-
posed 10 anything that would initiate
against II. II should be enhanced. 1t has
always been my opinion that no union
should be experimental For this reason
am opposed to hasty marriages. They
should be prevented. Divorce statistics
show that they are. in a majority OF
instances, due TO this cause. 1 think that
it should be required by law that couples
contemplating marriage post notice sew
eraI months before the license should be
granted
Mrs MusSey agrees with Mrs. Parsons
that immortality is on the increase, mot
in all classes. but generally" She would
not discuss the cause, merely conhning
herself to an exception as TO the cure.
Divorce Is Increasing.
Il also believe with Mrs. Parsons that
divorce is increasing. but the legal causes
for divorce do not tend 10 multiply.
1t is probably true that women are the
chief applicants for divorce. There s
good reason for this. in that woman IS
the chief sufferer through an unhappy
marriage. as she IS usually subordinate
TO her husband
Il heartily agree that public sentiment
should tend 10 condemn immortality in
men, as In women. and think that the
same standard should prevail with both.
II women demanded greater morality
among men, I believe they would get it
Mrs. Mussey does not believe in the ab-
divorced persons. but thinks that they
should not be married for a certain length
OF time.
Mrs. Mussey has written treatises on the
subject. and she Is now contemplating
book.
Rev. Peters Views.
The Rev Madison c. Peters. Of New
York, declared that he quite agreed with
Mrs. Parsons that divorced people should
be allowed % remaTry without criticism.
That the church no more rules the world,
and they are practically doing this in
the United States to-day-and the pulpit
should give the matter serious considera-
ton
'I have two daughters growing up into
young womanhood. and when the time
comes for them TO think Of marriage I
would urge them 20 be in no haste, but
10 deliberately choose their life partner.
not mOmentaTy passion. but for solid
worth Of character.
But I would not ask them to live with I
a man who proved unworthy l would I
tell them to cast such a man of. and If /
they found the man whom they believed 1
worthy Of them, to try again. This Is /
not the church idea, but church ideas no /
longer rule the world"
Morgan Dix Denounees View.
The Rev. Morgan Dix. rector Of Trinity /
parish. New York, is strong in his denun- /
citation Of the book. and will this morning
preach a sermon in Trinity Church, in /.
which I shall take I'd the matter and do /
my utmost to counteract the influence /
which is spreading such disgracefuI /
theories.
The idea Of men and women living like /
animals. separating at will and contract /
ing new alliances. leaving the children to /
be nObOdy's children. and to be cared for I
by the State. IS barbarism.
THE proposition to abolish the clause in (
the divorce law prohibiting the remar- I
riage Of divorced couples is almost as rep /
reheusible
7 consider Mrs. Parsons theories out /
rageous, and viii attack them at length /
and with all the force in me"
Bishop of AIbany's Idea.
Albany, y. Y, Nov 1.-THE Rt. Rev. |
William Croswel Doan, Episcopal Bishop /
of Albany, who for years has been labor /
ing for uniform divorce laws in all of the 1
States, had this to say tonight regard |