New-York tribune., 1919-12-25
Week-End MARRIAGES
a Criticism of Various Sub.
stitutes for the Family
To the Editor of The Tribune

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In recent issue of The SUNDAY
Tribune there appeared an interesting
article about some OF the "advanccd"
radical ladies of our day, together with
their pretty portraits The latter were
SO attractive that it seemed a pity the
owners Of those faces should be so will
fully wrong-headed in their ideas.
There is one single institution upon
winch all human society rests, from the
barbarian tribes of far Pacific islands
to our own highly civilized government
the family. And this cornerstone of
organized human life was doubtless first
instituted for the protection of the
mother and child, protection which
enabled the human race to survive. In
our own day we do not insist that mar
riage is perfect institution, but it is
the best Of which faulty human nature
Is capable.
And now come our radical ladies and
the Bolsheviki, who wish to abolish this
important institution and reduce the
world to state of chaos The Bosbe
Wiki are quite frank about it. while thc
radical ladies claim no such intention
but enuncate principles which, if put
into practice, would have the same
effect.
They begin by refusing to use their
husbands names, on the plea that their
social status, their being married or un
married. Is no concern of any one except
themselves. That is mistake. for the
community has right to know whether
woman is virtuous or not, and the
bearing of her husbands name is the
simplest proof of that fact on the part
of married woman. The community
mas also right to know something of
the chlld's circumstances. And Just here
is matter with which the radical
ladies do not deal. Miss La Toilette re-
fuses to call herself Mrs. Middleton IF
she mad son would she call him Middle
ton or La Toilette? OF course, she has
no children-apparently, none of those
ladies have-but to an ordinary sane
mind 1t would seem an injustice to force
these innocent little ones to be exnosed
to social obloquy by using their mothers
names, as If they were illegitimate.
But the question of the child troubles
our radical ladies very little. Their idea
Is to dispose Immediately of the incon-
venient infant by placing it in a public
institution established to care for all
babies. 1t is fact that babies do not
thrive In institutions, no matter how
hyglenically managed, because thew need
Individual care and love In the midst
OF tiled rooms, with scientifically pre-
pared food, and enlightened care, thew
die The orphan asylums now endeavor
10 board babies in homes where they viii
receive the care and love of mothers
Thus it would seem that the nractica,
effect of our radical ladies' course of ac-
ton would be 80 kill off the children
originally undesired.
The lady refusing to call herself Mrs
Sanderson plans to live apart from her
husband but to spend week-ends with
hlm' AS scheme for family life this
Is interesting. Carried out by one cou-
pie 1T is not a matter of great impor-
tance, but practiced by the whole COM
munlty one can easily see where it
would end. No one would quite know.
eventually, who was married or who
was not; who had children, or to whom
they belonged; and with the poor
Daoies themselves dying like flies in
their public institutions. the logical con-
cluslon of the matter would be the
eventual extinction of the race.
There is'one beautiful, natural attri-
butte which the women of all nations
share--mother love. These radical ladies
Heem to be yvithout tho+ cx,,l;+X. -