The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-31
MARRIAGE FOOLISH.
SAYS CLUBWOMAN
Miss Mary FairbrOther Asserts
Contract Scheme Saves the
Trouble of a Divorce

lNuPtiol tC DCCtdISQ merely
RigmarOIe to Be Gone Through
TO Keep Within the Law
CONTRACT MARRIAGE; huge
success and the true solution of the d.
''orce DrOblem.-View of Mr. and Mrs"
a. ~. Robins. who have tried it.
CONTRACT MARRIAGE, All right
on principle and a matter of personal
privilege. bHt-weII-ah, I'll advised
under present cOndftiOnS.-View Of Miss
Mary Fairbrother. who has studied the
idea.
APHoRIsMs OF MISS MARY FAIRBRoTHER
Ar. and Mrs Robins have broken the law. of
course way didn't they boast about il while
tRey were breaking the law All, they knew
they would be arrested.
Il purely a question Of personal privilege, and
me only difference between a contract ana
legal marriage is that the former saves the
trouble OF getting a divorce.
The marriage relation is an uneven one and It
is me Womans fault that it is so. Divorce
is the natural protest Of the woman of the
present against conditions Of the past.
1he marriage ceremony is simply a rigamarole;
II leaV-
enly form. But if we look on it as q riga
marole, why not go through It and then seek
sicurce2
The best thing about marriage is that it may
sometimes act a balance wheel, prevent
ing the severance Of relation TOO quickly for
me sake OF taking up another that may be
even more Objectionable.
I believe in divorce as long there is mar
rage. Il is outrageous for g woman 70 live
with man and talk about him at the same
time, and II man continues TO live with
rrH he
simply her boarder.
True 10 their agreement 10 seek sepa-
rate ways in the world after i've years
81 contractual welded life" a ".
Robins and wife" shook hands yes
torday- parted as friends and started
hearts which have been beating for half
decade as one to beating as two
again 1t was a simple performance,
carried out on schedule time and to the
jhtre satisfaction of both interested
.l5arsies.
Robins ,busied himself about his
Vegetarian cafe at as Market street
sls@C -nis sa1 with as much uncOncern as
.l-sQgshr1he completion OF his contract
t-sre.,a matter Of most ordinary bust
-less roaliue. Mrs. Robins was not
-u & slit possibly away seeking the
fullest enjoy merit Of new found free
seoln after sudden release from what
a9t4 are pleased 10 term five years %
Ierfeer welded life"
SO Miss Mary FairbrOther, president
of The. san Francisco sociological So
Glety and active member of the Califor-
MIA club. this conclusion of a fair test
of'thc contract marriage idea has fur
<glfshed food for both thought and dis
cssf 1e.a ra1a N
ss- one OF which she has long approved
. "a iss FairbrOrlier. however. has not
sHeu Ihis specific case her absolute
tactiol but her criticism extends only
~. She expsdiency OF the trial and the
Ia-Dner OF its announcement. not TO the
u.terliing principle
-IsIIsERs0NAL VIEWS
;. ISIS T+atrbrother's views are the re-
suite OF sociological study and. as she
?. des'iafed. Yesterday. are purely imper-
sopal.. Maybe" she said with a smile,
..,.aii old maid Oughtn't to have views on
flle marriage subject at all. but I have
= iSin.it lots Of thought and study and
fnire:are. pretty well fixed. / don't like
p I'd 81 express my opinions. for real opin-
tarn ought 10 suggest a remedy. and I
: douf know what the remedy IS. All
era convinced of is that the marriage
-5sra Of binding a man and woman to-
~ liier for life is entirely wrong and
~fgslsi oHeutually change. To make my
-.dpiniQns :!worth while i should I sup
*Ifose advance the plan Of solution, but
" .aaEe no idea what the solution is to
--'. .-EEa tt-1er 1T shall be a contract or
The evolution Of marriage with divorce.
Miss Eairbrother believes that mar
-iaEe is NOT q merely sacred estate. but
sr!ft 81 working plan Of human exist
eucE Ehat has come into being for want
[Ql. = better. and which should be ter
jnjr~ted Just as soon as the man and
the Ncen-an become unhappy. restless
qr dissatisfied with one another
DON'T APPROVE OF ROBINS
II dont approve entirely Of the man
ser In which Mr.. and Mrs. Robins have
carried out their contract marriage"
she said. II don't like the way in
which they have allowed it to be given
so much publicity. J. can't understand
why they should terminate their con-
tract, for they both say that they are
happy and satisfied together. If that
is so, they ought TO go along as they
have been doing.
."But i repeat that the matter Of
marriage is one Of personal privilege
look on the marriage ceremony as
l imply rigmarole; we've got past
time when It is a heavenly form.
~5lt personally I don't see any use in
not marrying, for why should we be-
come criminal just for tee sake Of
avoiding the law II we look on mar
mage as simply a rigmarole. why
not GO through with that rigmaroIe.
y. e:within the law, and then, when
1--WE are tired Of it, seek freedom by
divorce2 Doesn't the divorce, which
is Legal, accomplish the same end as
rhis elimination Of a marriage con-
tract ivhich is illegal?
: BELIEVES IN DIVORCE
q. 81 heneye i'm divorce as long as there
/. IS marriage It ought to be allowed
. freely, If only for the sake Of the chill
oren. As soon as a man and woman
tire OF each other they cast about their
chu9ren- WIG are living with them. an
influence that is degrading. It is out
rageous for a woman to live with
man and. talk about him a the same
time. land if she doesn't care for him
The fact. that they have children is no
excuse. for her to continue living with
him.
~rhe. marriage relation Is an uneven
one. and it's the wOman's fault that is
Is so. AS "A class. women are fond OF
. bondage Dreferring il TO freedom for