Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-23

But she emphatically denies that the
ceremony which changed her name
from Miss Jessie Holiday was a So
cialst ritual.
The English portrait painter and her
young husband are spending theil
honeymoon here. She has taken the
newspaper descriptions printed on two
of her wedding very serious
ly.
So seriously, in fact, that she has
written a letter ITO the People OF
America"
And this bride sign herself: Yours
Tor Socialism and free speech (not free
love; press kindly notice.! Jessie Hol-
liday Dana"
Mrs. Danas eyes sparkle when she Is
engaged in conversation, and, by the
way, when she is present Mr.. Dana
has little chance to exhibit his CONVEX
sational powers. so full Of thought and
the desire to express it is his wife.
1T was love at first sight" was Mr.
Dana's reply to a question. 1--WE first
met two years ago, but were not en-
gagged until the following year"
1T is all wrong" said Mrs. Dana. "to
attribute everything to Socialism-one's
religion, habits, etc. You might as well
say that man is a Republican because
he is a Roman Catholic.
For instance, the ritual used at oui
marriage was not Socialist ritual, al
though the newspapers have said II
was. We made it up to please our
selves"
Brides Letter to Public.
Here is Mrs. Danas unique letter:
To the People of America: want
to protest most strenuously against
the way in which the press has
dubbed our wedding a socialist
wedding
From the numerous cuttings
about it l have read sentences and
headlines which imply that we dis
pensed with a church service be-
cause we are Socialists. Even that
most well informed and serious Of
papers. The Daily Telegraph, of
London, starts thus: Socialist
wedding, Remarkable ritual Oeav-
ing out the best parts), and pro-
ceeds to describe the civil contract,
thereby suggesting a necessary
connection between socialism and
irreligion.
All this shows either the univer-
sal ignorance which prevails about
Socialism or else the desperate and
undignified efforts of the business
interests to give it a bad name. Let
me here state, for my husband and
myself and for all the Socialists of
the world, that Socialism has no
necessary connection with Atheism,
Agnostictism or any other irrelig
ionism. You can be a Christian. a
Mohammedan, a Theosophist
Unitarian. a Plymouth Brethren or
what not and yet be a Socialist at
the same time.
The Fabian society and the indie
dependent labor party of Great
Britain both number many Episco-
palian clergymen among their
ranks, to say nothing of ministers
from other denominations. There Is
even a Socialist bishop, though
bishops are apt to be hand in glove
with the big business interests; 1
don't know how they reconcile IT
with the gospel of poverty-per-
haps they are all busy squeezing
the rich man through the needles
eve as practice for the gate of
heaven.
We have also in England the
Christian Social union-a large
body of churchmen which works
for and identifies itself with So
cialism. / was a member of these
three parties and have spoken be-
fore all of them, so l write with
authority. In America, too, | have
met many Socialists who are also
Christians-the genuine article
really applying their religion
Mr.. Dana and | do not believe in
the present day conventional re-
ligion. We debated at first wheth-
err to employ for our marriage
Socialist Unitarian minister who is
a great IIlGHut LUZ W iiAe'+iS ~
eided that all the services had been
spoiled and made meaningless by
having been used lightly, so we
made up our ritual to please our
selves. with no idea of forming
pattern for Socialists or any one
else
We tried to express ourselves as
man and woman, not as politicians.
Ii had nothing to do with our ideas
on government Do for goodness
sake get out of your heads that
Socialism is also anarchism, athe-
ism, free love and destruction of
the home, It's a wonder people
don't think it's a hair restorer or
tonic! 1t will be both incidentally
but that's not it's main function
Tried to Avoid Politics.
Socialism is merely a scheme OF
government whereby the chief
means of production such as rail
ways. harbors, mines, etc, shall be
held or controlled by the state in
stead of by private individuals and
companies.