The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-01-11

When Elsie Clews Parsons. In her book
riages should be contracted on proba ton
her only motive. undoubtedly. was the
charitable one OF pity for the mismated d
| couple, But seldom has well-meant pro-
posal been hailed with so unanimous n
shout OF disapprovsl. on every hand the
pulpit thundered It's condemnation. Bishop
Satterlee. OF Washington. Is reported as
saying
Such an adjustment would mean the alb
solute breaking of marriage ties. the de-
gradation OF woman. ! cannot conceive OF
the acqucscence OF any one in such a
proposition
Bishop Fallows OF Chicago says:
Trial marriage would never do In tho
first place IL would contravene the divine
law OF monogamy. In the second place IL
would make the status OF children most
unsatisfactory and cause endless confu-
sion. In the third place IL would open the.
way TO license. Trial marriage would be
productive of immortality, 1t would break
up the home the very foundation OF So
ciety. II would disrupt the social fabric
and lead 10 fearful consequences.
DR.. Morgan Dix. the rector OF Trinity
church, New York. said: Few persons
know. and very few reflect. 10 what an
extreme the radicals OF the day are push
ing their schemes of social revolution.
When so much is bad II is hard to say
what Is the worst; but perhaps the
worst Is the plan 10 abolish marriage and
break up the home IL Is i'm the mind OF
these fanatics that marriage shall cease;
that men and women shall mate at pleas
ure. and that the children resulting from
these temporary unions shall belong, not
TO the animals which produce them. but
To the state. which must have citizens.
and own them like other kinds OF proper
~. and use them for its purposes.
This odious scheme Is seriously present
ed in books OF wide circulation. and It's
advocates, in trying TO make converts IN
places frequented ny the sedltious COM
munists and the murderous anarchists.
are not interfored with by the police.
After reading such ecclesiastical anathe-
mas, an examination OF Mrs Parsons
book Is more or less surprising. The
Family does not seem 10 be revolt
tionary or incendiary. II contains a series
OF lectures reviewing domestic customs
and conditions prevalent among various
people both civilized and uncivilizcd. The
writer's statements are couched In a tone
OF academic calm. and buttressed by notes
containing "A careful compilation of his
torlcal and sociological data. They Inform
Us. for instance. that among the Point
Barrow Eskimo it ia mo unusual sight 20
see "A little girl OF 10 or II carrying n WE'LL
grown. heavy child on her back instead
OF its MOTHER sentence which might
fairly be criticised for its ambiguous con-
struction. but which does not appear TO
be otherwise Objectionable. or again, we
learn from The Family" that etiquette
among the Central Australians demands
that when a fathcr-in-lnw dies, the SON
in-law must cut his shoulders with
knife as a mark OF sorrow: together with
a large variety Of equally Interesting but
no more dcmoralizng. Information
All the hubhuh seems "a have been
aroused by a siN-linc sentence I'm tho last
lecture ~ the hook After pointing the
evils that too often result from our exist.