The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-04-05

and a woman who lives on the earn
ings Of a man is scarcely much strong
er or better in the final analysis than
man who lives on the earnings of
woman.
True happiness will only come when
both the man and the woman earn
each in proportion to their ability, and
the wise man and the wise woman
will have a clear understanding as to
the earning capacity of each other be-
fore entering upon the serious affairs
love, and there is no love where there
Is no respect, and there can be no re-
spect where dependence falls upon one
or upon the other of a marriage con-
tract.
The whole scheme of domestic re-
lationship narrows itself down to the
fair, frank and equitable meeting OF
the financial obligations incurred. the
sharing of expenses and the facing of
the economic issues as they develop
during the term of the contract.
The question of marriage is simply
question Of income We are all
creatures of emotions, passion and de-
sires. The theme of love is a natural
element in the human soul; it is not
a foreign germ that has to be injected
into the body and cultivated. it is
already in the soul and only awaits
to be aroused.
There is no reason why we should
not combine love on the one hand
with the income power on the other,
providing society keeps the normal
man within limits.
For instance, If a girl is earning
say SO a week, and is in contact with
normal men who are earning $40
week, why then she will pick out the
kind Of man she likes, he the kind of
woman he likes, and they will have
reasons for coming together and lv-
ing together. They both are equally
capable of earning sufficient for their
individual needs, and therefore are
not dependent on each other. This
is what seems to be perfectly normal.
But then again, it is indeed hard
to blame a girl who is earning only
So a week-who is possessed of good
looks, good figure and is generally
pleasing to the eye-for selling herself
for 100000. She is not capable of
earning enough to support herself
The normal girl and the normal man
who are both capable of earning their
own living do not think of these
things.
What We want to do with the mar
rage and divorce question is to keep
people in normal condition, and
those who are not in this condition
must be brought back.
Just as soon as you get people away
from the normal state you make one
set of people slaves of another set.
This means the decreasing of our in
tellectual or emotional natures and
the breaking down Of social stand
ards.
We have spokne Of the girl who
is lacking in ability, or in opportunity
to earn enough to support herself.
Now we speak Of the girl who is
kept at home with certain duties to
perform, but no income-making
power. This sort Of woman is alb
solutely depend on a man who has
the income making power to satisfy
her wants
We educate a woman to spend ST.
500 a year, whereas she has an in
come-earning power Of only $500.
When she faces life she therefore
has to choose between the man whom
she may love but who cannot earn
the $500. and the man she cares
little about but who can provide the
necessary means for such luxuries.
Just as long as we have women who
are not taught to have an earning
capacity we are going to have many
many cases of this kind.
The mans side of this problem is
quite different. The young man Of
today has the notion that he should
support a wife, and consequently he
emphasizes this fact In himself, often
to the extent of deceiving himself. He
does not look to any income-earning
power in his wife; he looks to her
face. her figure, her style, and gets
the idea, which has a great deal OF
good In 1t and much bad, that women
are to be supported. The girl he
marries. unless she has the earning
power. does not know the value OF
his income or how to use it, and In
most cases she becomes dissatisfied
with the resulting chaos.