The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-14

"a PORE young women marry
n II for money to-day than
perhaps ever before de-
r,arcs ReN Beach. Mar
,i,re has become less "A union Of love
and more an alliance based on mate
,isl considerations. Such a condition
is dangerous 900 society and a menace
J., the future. For this condition
which | assert is a condition-present
day mothers are 10 blame.
Marriage a. a means of social and
%necun.ary hcttorment is hardly as old
as m, hills, but womln have undoubt-
ell, taken unto themselves husbands
for what those husbands could give
from the very beginnings of human
society. But ia u age and country "a
new and sinister figure has arisen,
the schcming mercenary mother who
deliberate. rears daughters as a mar
k,tab'c commodity who trains daugh-
tiers with ih, idea of entering mar
rlagc a. a profession; who discourages
and blights all ideals of romance and
love. AMI on the other hand cou
ages the thought of matrimony as a
means Il attaining wealth and social
position. This type of mother is be-
coming a serious menace
While | believe the minority of
mothers are real mothers. and while l
do not believc the great bulk OF hu-
mainly IS depraved, an increasing per-
centage OF mothers are neither honest
nor good. They are bringing up daugh-
tiers to enter lives both dishonest and
immoral. 10 sell them into a slavery
no whit better than hat of the Sc
ragl!o. Marriage for money. one of
cur grayest social evils and one for
which mothers are mainly responsible.
is a cancer IN our national life.
IN writing The Auction Block I
e%ndeavored to picture a girl brought
up for the sole purpose Of being sold
into marriage for money. l pictured
the mother as one who regarded her
daughter as a salable product. Every
phase of the girls education and train
ing tended toward one thing, the at
tracing of a rich man and his capture
in marriage. Some critics said this
type II mother does not exist and that
the book represented no general social
condition. In fact a few said the story
was impossible.
When | wrote The Auction Block
! had a certain family in mind. The
story as | wrote II was true to life
as | observed 1t. And l can only
say that | have portrayed no isolated
case, nor do | believe l have exag-
gerated "A condition of modern life.
Many girls are to-day raised with the
object Of being married of to rich
men. Love has less TO do with court
ship and marriage in America than
it ever had. And herein is an omi-
nous evil. "a demoralizing condition, a
problem perhaps as momentous as
that Of corrupt politics or dishonest
business.
In my personal experience l have
come across many instances where
mothers brought up their daughters
as one redrs "A prize horse. The OBJ
ject is sale. Such a mother brings
a daughter into the world and edu-
Gates her with a view 4 an advan-
tageouS marriage. The daughter is
dressed SO she may attract attention.
Often the entire family is deprived Of
necessities that the salable member
may be deliberately gowned.
such mothers exhibit their daugh-
terS a. displays are made in the
Windows of department stores. There
Is no emotion about it. 1t is calculat-
ing!y, sordldly selfish. In fact the
modern mother who thus brings up a
daughter is not unselfshly sacrificing.
In most cases the mother is on the
jon 10 sec that when the bargain is
consummatcd she gets hers While
this evl. is less common in the West