The Washington herald., 1912-01-30
A MATRIMONIAL CONTRACT

nothing else is It so vital that they shan
make no mistake OF Judgment and that
they shall safeguard every point yet
there is no other step in life that people
take so blindly and with so little regard
Tor consequences.
should Leave Nothing TO Chance.
IF two men wanted to go into part
nership they would look up each others
records; they would find out how much
money each had, and what credit. and
they would make a definite arrangement
. beforehand about what work each was
to do and what part OF the profits each
was TO have. Nothing would be left to
chance. and they would start out at
least on a good working basis.
But when a man and woman enter
into the most important partnership in
the world they don't take the trouble TO
| ind out a thing about each other, nor
TO settle what each Is 10 do. nor what
each is 20 expect from the other. nor
! what part OF the profits OF the firm each
Is TO receive. Is II any wonder that so
many matrimonial firms thus loosely or
ganized end in bankruptcy?
Believe me, the marriage contract is
the remedy for the divorce evil People
will object on the ground that II does
away with romance but there isn't much
romance left any way. after FIVE years
OF matrimony, and there would be a
deal OF comfort in a home where the
husband and wife were both living up to
the bargain they had made before they
were married"
feel sure that the divorce Judge"
is right, and that nothing would do more
to insure domestic peace and happiness
than for man and a woman TO have a
definite understanding before they were
married as TO the duties and obligations
they were undertaking.
For example, there Is nothing that
there is quite as much friction about in
money. The majority Of men refuse
to give their wives any regular allow
ance, and the women writhe and chafe
under the injustice that makes them
have TO go like begEers to their hus-
bands for every cent they need for
household expenses. All OF this could be
avoided II there had been a marriage
contract in which Il was specifically
stated what part Of his income a man
should hand over to his wife.
The in-law problem IS another continual
source OF discord. The wife rebels az
having her husbands mother under her
roof, The husband fumes and frets at
having his wlfe's mother poking her nose
into his affairs All of this trouble could
that neither party would have TO live
with the others family and that family
visits were to have a time limit upon
them.
what Liberal Contract Would Pro-
vide.
Personal liberty, that boon dearest to
the heart OF humanity and which is gen.
orally sacrificed I'm matrimony. might also
be secured by a contract which would
state in black and white that both hus-
band and wife retained the right to their
own individual religion and politics. and
to exercise the privilege Of eating what
they liked. and Of having an occasional
evening of. \ very liberal contract might
even go further and specify that each one
secured TO himself or herself the privilege
OF taking a vacation from matrlmony
every now and then.
Certainly a man has a right to have II
, written in HIS contract that his wife shall
keep a neat home and set well prepared
food before him, and not force him TO
live in boarding houses or hotels. and
the woman has a right to hold out for a
pay envelope for her services and not
be expected to work for her board and
clothes. Also. she has a right TO stipulats
that her husband shall treat her with as
much politeness and consideration as he
would II she were not his wife.
Undoubtedly the thing that makes mat
rimony so often a failure Is its blightinE
disappointment when one finds that the
husband or wife falls so far short Of
ones expectations II the man knew be-
fOrehand that the wife he was marrying
hated children, that she would not keep
house. that she was selfish and extrava-
CANT; II the woman knew that the man
was stingy and boorish and would lead
her a sorry dance, how few weddings
there would be.
The merit OF the marriage contract IS
that It would at least prepare a couple
for what they were about to receive an6
give them a chance 10 back out II the
provisions were not to their liking.