The Washington times., 1907-10-01
AFFINITY THEORY
RIGHT SAYS CLUB,
EARLE NOT ALONE
New Workers Practice
Belief and Defend
the Artist.

NEW YORK. Get. Hard upon ire
heels of the furore created by the Earle
"affrity" case there develops the fact
that Ferdinand Pinney Earle, far from
being alcne in his belief, is only one Oh
sn established clique in this city Among
the 800 members Of the Sunrise Club,
socialistic organization whose members
are nearly all Identified in some way
with the Rand School of Social Ssienee,
are anywhere from fifty to one hundred
men and women who are converts 10 the
peculiar views Of the marriage relation
20 sensa tionally advanced by the artist
IL is said that many OF these people
practice what they belitve to he the
true tate OF happiness between the
sexes. Some of them hold to the af-
Tinity ioea, others ere even more rad
ical. and all consider that the formU :.
of marriage is futile and unnecessary.
For the most part they are men and
v-1men of intellectually and educa-
ton, an6 some of them are wealthy
Edwin c. Walker. Of pa West l43d
street, is the secretary of the Sunrise
Club He has written number Of
pamphlets advancing his views Re
garding the Earle incident in particular
he ssid yesterday:
EaIleS Onty MISTAKE.
IF Mr.. Earle had not made public
matter Of his private affairs he would
not have been subjected to subsequent
annoyance, abuse, and assault. But
here his blameworthiness ends and that
of the press and public begins. The ex-
istence of a child or children alone
gives society any reason for interfer-
ence, and then only II there is good Tea-
son for anticipating neglect and suffer
ing. There was no such reason in this
case
These two persons, man and
woman, who presumably were capable
of self-dlrection. agreed 10 go separate
ways This was their business 1t was
no co-cern Of the press, the clergy, ne
law or their neighbOrs. The presence Uf
another woman does not. in equity in
the least complicate the case. The af-
FAR remains still the business. strictly.
or the persons Immediately concerned %
IN pamphlet he has written on
Love and the Law" Mr.. Walker SAYS:
If love between the sexes Is right
and proper under any circumstances.
statute laws cannot change that right
1u4hess and propriety into wrongfulnesS
ana improperly. But the thought and
action must harmonize. Such relations
are wrong, for those who think they are
wrong In q word, we are morally in
nocent when we live in accordance with
the best light we have. The law has
nothing to do In affairs so delicate and
pi'iv1te as these
Deprecates Marriage Service.
The repeating of form Of words,
the mumbling OF a promise before a
priest or justice can add nothing to the
sacredness OF love or the binding force
OF parental responsibility. And because
men believe that these foolish ctrenon.
les nave IN them some peculiar nd saw
Ing virtue, we have the saddeninc fact
Of the almost total absence Of honor IN
the sexual dealings Of men with women
They have been taught to re-ard az
holy the enslaving letter Of the ~ and
gave no thought to the obligations OF
horror
Instead Of cuItivating self -esnec,
ana manly loyalty to all that Is lust
and true, the law has debased man II
the level Of mere automaton: has
made him depend for his virtue rpor
the edicts Of the self-constituted custo-
dams OF other persons morals Instead
or encouraging him TO be frank and fail
him every. inducement to shirk the re-
sponsibihties OF his actions
Finally. legal marriage. hv its autoc.
FacY' It's narrOwness, it's blind selfish
ness, It's greed OF exclusive poTsession
Its jealousies and rlvalries. Is an evil !
great evil, and that continually. n
bHghts the brightest and sweetest f,ouv.
ers springing in the gardens Of the hu.
Earle's Theory Old.
James 4. Morton, jr.. a LAWYER. with
Offices at 81 Park row. is a friend o
Walkers and also believes that Ea-I
has been unjustly treated.
The Significant element in the Eari
affinity theory. which was lone aSo ~,
pressed by Goethe and Is much olde,
than Earle. The doctrine OF ar eterna
soui mate belongs TO metaphysics, rath
er than to that OF sociology.
Eg7ssI7