The Washington herald., 1912-04-08
WOULD PROHIBIT
CERTAIN WEDDINGS
DR.. Colt Discusses Marriage from
Community Yiewpoint-Favors
Certain Divorces.

The only reason for divorce must be
the reason for marriage. said DR.. STAN
ton Colt. chairman OF the West London
Ethical Society. who delivered a lecture
on woman suffrage Saturday night at
Fairmont Seminary, under the auspices
Of woman suffragists in the District.
Divorce. with the ultimate good OF the
race, he would advocate, DR.. Colt said
before he left Washington for Philadel-
phia yesterday. In discussion of the sub
ject. he stated. IL is necessary to take
into consideration the instinct of the. in
dividual: to realize that community ap-
proval is essential. and to consider that
monogamy is not the only form Of mar
riage, although" he said, 1T is the
only form that will agitate society in
the ages to come"
Must Divide Individual.
I'm the discussion of marriage and d.
vorce," DR.. Colt said. I'VE must divide
the individual into two classes, but not
as men and women. We know that
men and women are very much alike in
their emotions. instincts, and passions.
The division We must make is between
the sane and the insane. / believe that
all trouble in married life comes from
the abnormality of some instinct, pas
zion, or emotion In the husband or wife
Sanity is simply that harmonization
of all the elements of a human being
that work for the best OF the community.
There is no other definition of insanity
than that II Is an abnormal instinct on
the part of a man or woman that II
satiated Will In the end be suicidal to the
individual and the social structure.
Then We must recognize that there are
two classes Of impulse. The first is that
which eyaporates upon fulfillment. We
know OF cases where a man or a woman
simply worships an Individual, and then
when her or his desire is contaminated,
II evaporates and he or she wonders what
Il was that excited their sex fascination.
Then there Is the other kind of impulse.
that kind which Is so deep that its full
intensity is seldom realized. On this last
ideal marriage is founded.
Some marriages should be prohibited.
1t is a wonder to me that United States
has not recognized this as a whole. when
four States already have laws which pro-
hibit the marriage OF habitual drunkards
and imbeciles.
Who Is JudEef
when We come to a discussion Of what
marriages should be prohibited, the first
question that faces US is. Who shall be
the Judge? The answer to that IL, The
community The community which now
sanctions marriage when certain forms
have been compiled with should not cast
its appreciation upon any marriage which
will not go to make the race better. /
marvel at the Socialists. who argue that
the equal distribution OF property would
heal all unhappiness and misery. They
overlook the fact that life and the power
to originate life is not the property of
the individual. II belongs to the COM
munity at large. which has the right to
demand the best of the race.
TO enter into a marriage for money
or social position is damnation Of
maternity. Divorce should not be given
on the ground Of incOmpatibiIity.
Il say that the only reason for divorce
II We sanction II must be the reason for
marriage. Divorce must be granted on
the grounds established by the laws Of
eugenics. II the. absolute separation OF
man and woman. with permission TO en-
ter into wedlock with another. Is to be
given. IL should be given when II will
be better for children. the community.
the nation, and the emotional nature
do not advocate divorce because / pity
the individual. but because have some
thing greater in mind-the good of the
race
"A person should not be permitted to
desert his post simply because he Is un-
happy. We must make the laws finer,
based more upon the result to the COM
and not TO the individual. 7 |
that the present trouble with |
the divorce laws is their brutality their !
vulgarity. and their blindness to the |
good Of the community"