South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-30
Breach of Promise Suits /.
Non a Topic of Discussion
Outcome of the Northampton Case Leads Many England
to Favor Abolition of Such Actions, but Others
Vigorously Maintain Present Law.


sides. The abolition OF such actions
would have a direct bearing on the cues
ton OF divorce"
A woman should suffer IN silence"
said Mrs. Harold Gorsr the well known
writer and author OF The Soul OF MiIly
Green" All actions FOR breach OF
promise should be abolished But this
IS not the view OF all women. many OF
whom argue that II a man breaks his
promise he should pay because the
woman has lost a chance OF being sup
ported. To me the idea is repulsive, and
cannot understand how any woman
can cheaper her feelings BY bringing
such an action. II is a great confeasjOn
OF weakness. II IS much better II a
girl has been Tilted that she should laugh
as II she did not care at all-yes. though
she suffer in secret"
STAGE NEEDS NO INDICATION
That the social status OF the stage needs
no vindication nowadays is TIE opinion OF
Mr.. Frank Boyd. editor or the Pelican. a
weekly paper which is devoted mainly TO
the profession. Apart from those ladies
of the stage who would adorn any circle
which they may enter" ne said. cit is not
always sufficiently realized, perhaps, that
the whole standard OF the profession IS
vastly different from all old fashioned
| conceptions OF it To go no higher IN the
I ranks of the profession than the chorus,
you may take it that the chorus girl OF the
London stage OF to-day IS a nice, wel.<
spoken, well educated girl OF a very good
class Of society. one need only be present
at a voice trial such as takes place any
day to realize this. She has usually re-
ceived an excellent musical education. and
can read music at sight She receives,
( certainly at the leading theatres, a very
good salary in proportion TO the amount
Of work actually required OF her and she
! is a bright attractive, clever girl. Her
matrimonial opportunities are possibly
brighter than those of the same class Of
girl in any other occupation. and she has
the feminine tact and adaptability 10 cir
herself becomingly in any society In
which she may find herself"
| 1t is only one who has been placed Just
as Daisy Markham. however. and has
| lived some years afterward who can give
the answer to the position OF a woman IN
such circumstances.
! So said Miss Birdie Sutherland, who
accepted $4,000 damages against the
Hon Dudley Marioribanks. Miss Suther-
land retains all her beauty. and her
statuesque figure is perhaps more com
handing and more gracious now than
when it was the wonder Of the London
stage.
Money is no compensation in a breach
of promise case for what woman loses,"
she said. This is particularly true when
the woman is an actress. Let me warn
every woman, whatever her situation. No
damages ever invented are payment The
money is no use. 1t seems TO do you no
good. 1t almost marks itself as not your
own money. Let any woman whe finds
herself IN the position Of bringing a breach
Of promise suit consider many times before
she takes a step she will always regret
The young men and the old men of
society think they can go further with an
! actress just because she is an actress.
They talk to her freely, they go about
with her freely. they make havoc OF her
affections with feeling OF responsibility
which is in Itself an insult Then when
they grow tired, when they have COM
promised her by leading her 70 think She
is engaged when all the world has coupled
their names together. they throw her aside.
Ali this because she is an actress. Is she
not also a woman? Why should men
un3crupulously do to an actress what the
rules Of social honor do not permit them
to do TO their friends sisters, what In
I fact they dare not do?
lone day a man forgets. Only a woman
knows what a woman's memory IS to a
woman"