The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-17
Philadelphia Salvation Army On Marriage Problem

The Salvation Army in Philadelphia
thinks that marriage ought TO be
made easier. which just shows how
our instructive pieties may lead us in
ciia metricaily opposite direction.
Person ally we think that marriage Is
already a great deal too easy and
that it ought to be discouraged like
drugtakng and cigarettes. When
one thinks Of the aggregate Of mis-
fortune that have followed this fatal
habit of matrimony it Is hard TO un-
derstand why our comrades in Phil
adelphia should seek to promote II.
They must recognize that every ar
eument that has ever been brought
against alcohol, for example. could be
advanced with tenfold force against
marriage instead Of which they IN
oHt of their way to aid and ahet
ii.
And how cunning they are about
it. How cleverly they bait the hook
All you have 10 do Is to hand the
sum Of 500 to any Salvation Army
official and YOU viii then be furnished
with a license. minister who may
be returned--a two weeks honey
I moon in the country, $50 worth Of
/ furniture and a four-room fiat with
| hath and with the rent paid for the
4 fist month. In the first flush Of our
! enthusiasm we thought OF ordering
! h<sf dozen or so. bat we we're
| informed coldly that customers were
/ allowed to purchase only single ar
tice, just as they advertise at the
/ big clearance sale after they have
added 20 per cent 10 original prices,
/ And il is just as well that we re-
/ ceived this check. for you will notice
there is nothing said in the announce
ment about a wife. That is where
! they get you. That is how they con
i ceal the powdec tn the jam You
eXult over the prospective possession
! Of the furniture and the bath and the
minister and all the other dry goods.
and then YOU suddenly realize that
! YOU must have a wife. too, and there
/ YOU are. So we sadly put back the
I 500 in our vest pocket and drifted
! downtown to a place where there are
/ no strings on commercial enterprise.
Now we could suggest some inn
| provements upon the Salvation Army
| plan. Come TO think of 1t can pro-
I vide q lot of engrossing occupation
| white il lasts Now how would it
1 do 10 place this scheme on dollar
/ down dollar-a- week foundation, SO
cargo of hardware without undue loss
on either side? You see II takes a
! business head to nut through a deal
| like this so that II shall catch on.
And how would II do to make some
alternative prices. For example,
| there may he some people who would
,be willing to dispense with the min
lister or even the license. Indeed it
seems quite likely, and in such cases
there ought to be a reduced estimate.
! however. small. Then again there
| might be some ''moneyback" plan
, inserted In the contract as a guarantee
Of good faith In fact, there are
endless possibilities in this scheme.
Why not make a fiat rate including
the wife, or without eugenic certi-
ficate? Why not make any part OF
the consignment--bath. wife. fiat or
fIirniture-returnab or exchanged
bile, with full credit on a higher-price
article? Space in this column does
not permit Of a full development OF
the project. but it Is quite easy to
see its capabilities. and we might even
be willing to undertake the local
agency Perhaps our Philadelphia
brethren will communicate.
Says Mrs Charlotte Perkins Gil
man. Through all the ages OF the
world women have had to change
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