Evening journal., 1911-08-25
MARRIAGE
IS SLAVERY
This "Uppie' SinCIair'S Idea
On Eve Of Filing Suit
for Divorce
NO FORMAL MOVE
MADE BY NOVELIST

No formal move to try to get a di-
vorce has been made in the courts
here by Upton Sinclair, Socialist and
author. and star OF the colony OF Ar
den. In fact, he has not returned to
Arden following his public announce
ment in New York that he expects
to file an action for divorce from
his wife, Mrs. Meta Fuller Sinclair.
She is not there either.
Mr.. Sinclair has written a new
novel called. Loves Pilgrimage"
which is the first OF three proposed
novels on marriage, in which free
love" is one OF the dominant themes.
The novel tells OF the marriage of the
hero. according to the canons OF the
church and OF the state and very
much against his principles as a con-
cession 10 his wifo's parents and his
own Some OF the Ardenites are
wondering whether Sinclair's novel
is Biographical, whether he has writ
ten OF some of his own experiences.
David, the eight-year-old son OF
Mr.. and Mrs Sinclair, was the oi~y
one at Arden who was not informed
of the threatened separation of his
parents, and he is now under the
protecting care of his grandmother
Mrs. H. NJ Fuller, who came to Arden
about a week ago. II was at the same
time that Mrs. Sinclair left for New
York, soon TO be followed by Kemp.
her poetic admiror Mr. Sinclair went
to New York on Tuesday and gave out
his announcement on the following
day
Mrs. Fuller was seen at Arden yes
terday. She said
81 do not know where my daughter
is at &is time. ] refuse TO deny or
affirm as 70 whether she and Harry
Kemp came TO my home in New York
and took up their abode there. ! will
say most eRiphatically that ] was not
sent away, however. / am never sent
anywhere with the accent on the
'sentD j came down here as I have
often done TO visit and take care OF
David I was astounded when | saw
, the news Of the announcement In m,
papers This morning
Marriage Is slavery.
Upton Sinclair has Indicated on
several past occasions that he roeardi
the institution Of marriage AS "a form
Of slavery, and that in casc Of dis
agreement or incompaiability between
man and wife. they should bo free C
separate. On ono occasion Mr.. Sin
+ clair said:
"When my wife and J fell in love
with each other We talked the Who'll,
marriage business over very conscicn.
! tiously. We both hated tho idca o
being tied together, either by re-
+ ligious or legal ceremony and We
tried 10 make mp our minds to sci
the right kind Of example to the
world
"But we knew Mrs. Sinolair's mother
and father would go raying crazy il
we did what our consciences told us
was right. So TO ease their minds
we let someone humble few words
over us, and made them happy.
"Now we are married and we have
seen the world and know a great many
= married people and we are a good
J deal ashamed of being married our
selves.
Marriage in this day is nothing but
, legalized slavery. That is the mos
polite way 10 call it, ] fancy. The
average married woman is bought just
as much as any horse or any dog is
bought"
Kemp. who is known at Arden al
"The Cowboy Poet" is popular there
and many Of his poems have been Tea'
, at the campfire. The poems dea
: with Greek myths. Western hurrl
! canes and lake barges.
Mrs. Sinclair apparently receives
her inspiration for the stage from tn
1 productions Of Isben and SEakespear
plays at the Woodland Theatre there
= Several weeks ago she appeared a
S i"Cberon" in "a Midsummer Night
r Dream" Mrs Sinclair a. that tim
8 was complimented for the artisti
Il manner in which she portrayed he
Q part, although her costume when she
first appeared caused gasp.