Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-04-30
SOCIOLOGICAL STUDIES or TIE
FAMILY AND HOMES
by P. NJ. Magnuson, Phi. d.

began to have more and more a RAJ
tional and permanent interest in his
property. He planned for the NOR
row more than the savage does. Now
he took a permanent interest in the
woman that he preferred. The in
terests Of sex and property together
work the great change. His reasons
for staying permanently with the
woman or women Of his choice were
probably low enough, but the impor-
tant fact is that this more highly
evolved man stayed with the woman
Of his choice and demanded that
they should "cleave unto him. alone.
He defended his feminine property
against rivals and wild beasts, and
even against hunger, though he prob
ably considered that normally it was
the duty Of his wives to feed him,
rather than the reverse. AS far as
woman was concerned, she had scant
individual reason to feel elated over
the change. For from this hour dates
her slavery. From now on she must
obey the voice Of her lord. But for
society as a whole, the change was
che of priceless, benefit. Wien the
father was thu: brought in contact
with his children daily, the latent
paternal impulses Of his nature be-
gan 70 assert themselves, and in a
short time his love Of his children
was on a par with their mothers.
The father took an interest in his
children wife, in fact, identi-
fed himself with them, so that soon
he did not distinguish between HIM
self and his family. His children
had to 'mind' naturally. And as a
forty years old man is sure match
for a twenty years old boy, boys
had to obey until they became men.
Thus it came to pass that the chill
dren with a father to train them
were as a rule forced to obey until
heir habits were fixed for all time.
1t has become a second nature for
these young barbarians to obey their
father. 1t becomes a tradition and
custom of the tribe that children
must always and implicitly obey
their father. However old and fee
bic the father becomes, the law of
fixed habits secures him obedience.
i Even if some individual in the fam
! lily should be able to shake himself
lose from a lifelong habit and at
tempt to disobey, he would be fore
IDLY restrained by the united strength
Of the whole tribe. They would not
tolerate such a breach Of time-hon-
ored customs. Thus the social glue
} was discovered which could hold So
ciety together. The PATRIARCHAL
FAMILY is the tap-root Of the So
} cial Evolution, and OH that basis
) alone can a satisfactory civilization
rest. Obedience of the children to
their father, if forcibly compelled
until maturity, will engender the
quality Of governabality in race.
Such a group Of people will hang to-
gether, know how to obey a govern
ment, and can thus begin to profit by
the superior wisdom Of the tribe; and
they possess a common will that is
stronger than the sum total Of in
dividual wills in the tribe.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE
PATRIARCHAL FAMILY was a
simple affair. It was in one word
the FATHER. The fathers power
(patria potestas in Roman law was,
as rule, absolute. But in theory
only. Libertv-loving peoples, as the
Germans, knew Of little paterna1 re-
straint on the armor- bearing adult.
But the logical and legal Romans
realized this absolute power Of the
father in all it's logical severity. In
all primitive society, be it remem-
g bered, the restraining hand Of all
powerful custom, however, limits the
power Of the ia her-patriarch to a
narrow groove.
The patriarch father was business
manager, priest, general, judge, law
maker, executive, and teacher, all in
one. He often availed himself of
the counsel Of the family, but in
many tribes custom gave to him
alone the final decision. Almost ev-
cry organ in every institution goes
back, therefore, to the patriarch
father as its original germ.
Not even the newborn child had
a right in the family until the father
had by some ceremony adopted him.