The Washington times., 1922-09-14
PROF. TIERNAN
INCONSISTENT,
SAYS DR.. DAVIS
Woman Sooiologist Can't See
Reason for Him to Air
His Troubles.
By MARGERY REX.


p. Tiernan to be explained?
His wife, this law instructor NJ
Notre Dame University claims. has
been untrue to him. She IL the
mother OF q child, he states. OF which
Harry Poulin, clothing merchant OF
South Bend, 10 father.
But Tiernan insists he Is forGiv-
ing man, that he will not leave bis
wife, that he will rear and provide
for and give his name TO the child.
He does not want money from :he
lawsuit and insists moral issue
alone 10 at stake.
Makes World Remember.
How can Tiernan forgive when he
does not forget-when he is going
TO make the world remember?
DR.. Katherine b. Davis. long
known as authority on social prob
lens and now general secretary OF
the Bureau of Social Hygiene, re-
marks on the lack of logic and incon-
sistency of the wronged husband:
IF Professor Tiernan feels as he
says he does about the matter,
can't see why he wishes to have eny
publicity for his affairs.
How can he punish the other man
this way?
"It seems to me hard to put ones
self in another's position and decide
what one would do in such a crisis.
Tiernam himself claims all he cares
for is the moral ISSUE" DIR. Davis
argues,
TITS a private matter. according
N his own statement. Tiernan says
ne wants, to keep the child, whose
parentage he questions. He says ne
will support this child and give 1t
his own name.
He is most inconsistent, feel.
IF he L. willing to forgive his wife
--he does not wish to divorce her or
effect q legal sepAration-why does
he wash his dirty linen in publicf
Mrs. Tiernan has decided her
husband is the better Of the two men.
His attitude is noble enough. surely
his lack Of yengeful feeling and his
Willingness to abide by the law.
Il would take all Of them out into |
the back yard and administer a
thorough spanking!
THE present disclosure is bad for |
the child, bad for Tiernan profes. !
sionally, for Poulin's. innocent wife
for every one involved. The guilty |
man will be punished least Of all.
What can Tiernan gain by try.
ing to punish the MANI" DR.. Davis |
asks.
Keep Family Intact.
AS a brilliant lawyer, we'll ground |
ed in his profession, Professor Tier |
nan, we assume, must have a clear |
understanding of the purposes of
laws. And Of justice-which laws |
are supposed to preserve. He must |
realize that an individual, under any |
civilization, Is supposed to be sub |
servient to what is best for the
greatest number of people. At least |
such consideration must prompt Pro-
fessor Tiernan to try to keep his
family intact and to forfeit his own
grievances to that end, so that so
ciety will not be disturbed by as
much as one wrecked home.
But why the public psrley, we re-
peat after DIR. Davis.
Some men and women find they
can endure with complacency infidel
fly in martial partner, but few men
are willing to protect and support
and give name to another mans
child. For that reason some un.
faithful wives are hailed into court
while others 90 their wilful way.
Doesn't Mind At All.
But Professor Tiernan doesn't at
oil mind, he says, protecting, paying
for and giving name to this child.
II he doesn't want to use whatever
evidence is procurable to, get a separ.
alton or divorce. then why is he in
court?
Mrs. Tiernan believes she sees a
lesson for other wives in her expe.i.
enCes. She says:
Sometimes, although young hus-
bands love their wives devotedly,
they are apt to, give to their work
q more apparent devotion than they
cOncede their wives. Or. perhaps,
they have interests that require at.
tention to the exclusion Of the young
wife. Naturally a young wife feels
piqued when this is the case and, un-
less she is more than ordinarily
strong Of will. she will seek amuse-
ments elsewhere alone that she
should seek with her husband"
That is, as you might say, one way
OF looking at II.
But Tiernan Is confessing other
peoples sins. Certainly, IL his
charges .are true, he has been
wronged. But the dramatiZation Of
his sorrows in a Justice of the
Peace Court Of South Bend cannot
help the Tiernans, the Poulins, or
the rest of society.
If the law instructor is willing to
give some Of the result of his labors
TO support another mans child he
might pay with silence to make life
possible for everyone else concerned
or get a separation.
Right is on his side as far as all