The Washington times., 1922-06-22
CHURCH JUMPS
ON UNMARRIED
MOTHER PLEA
Brooklyn Pastor Declares Lee
turer's Ideas Are Not Held
by Congregation.
By wINFRED VAN DUzER,
Universal Service. ]

Brooklyn the while II stands nrmly
upon principles of progress for
womanhood. g.. ..
But when somebody gets up be-
fore the congregation and its friends
and calmly announces that perman-
ent wifehood Is no longer neces-
sary complement Of motherhood
and anyway reproduction Of the
species is the only purpose of mar.
| riage. some sort of situation is
bound to follow. For the church has
not yet progressed to place where
marriage is not.
And this Is the reason that Mrs.
Harrtet Luella McCollum. who gives
lectures on applied Psychology. VIII
step before the official board OF the
II. -
Frank Newcomb, treasurer of the
official board stated today that he
believes the slender. distinguished
| appearing woman or youthful face
and vtvacious manner. will be re-
| qutred to discontinue the lecture
course fnaugurated at the church
| following Mrs. McCollum's similar
engagement by q Manhattan church.
He added:
I'VE feel that We cannot stand
the criticism to which her views
| subject US. You see we stand be.
hind her to some extent and feel
that she has split the beans"
To Show Independence.
Simultaneous with Newcombs
statement was one by Mrs. McCol-
lum announcing that today she and
her daughter. Mrs. Marion McCol-
lum, would apply for membership
in the Lucy Stone League, an Or
ganization composed Of married
women who engage In fighting the
horror Of annihilated personality by
retaining their maiden names.
Mrs. Marion McCollum is the
bride Of Charles D. Vanhorn. Next
year. the psychologist explained. or
as soon as the newlyweds have be-
como acclimated to the marriage
state. the bride will HE herself TO
Paris, there to study art. thereby
exhibiting her independence. Mrs.
McCollum. ST., continued:
"If I were conventional myself,
ia 70 by the name of Grosow. 1t
is my husbands. My sister. too. Is
q Mrs. McCollum, though her hus-
bands name is Smith.
II believe the woman should be
allowed to keep her own name
after marriage and that the. chill
dren should be permitted legally
| to take the name OF the parent
they love the most"
Replying to some of the radical
McCollum statements concerning
marriage, the Rev. Harry Knight
Miller, pastor Of the Hanson Place
Methodist Church. had this to say:
Minister Against Il.
IT am opposed to her proposed
sbridRment of conventional mar
riage in order to permit women
seeking a career to crafty the
maternal instinct and then, having
given birth to a child, renouncing
the marriage vows and returning
to their career.
This suggestion is impracticable
and untenable. A woman who
chooses q career In preference to a
| husband, homo and family must
not complain because she thereby
Is forced to forswear her primary
function In life.
Society can make no exceptions
which would tend to weaken the
marriage structure for the sake Of
| O few abnormal women.
The sanctity Of the marriage re-
lation is the foundation stone Of
civilization. Anything tending to
weaken the validity and authority Of
marriage Is a blow at the home and
thus at the State. =.
Mrs. McCollum's most radical
statements are these:
"Wifehood and motherhood Is no
| longer the universal ideal for a wom-
an.
The exceptionally strong, gifted
woman who desires motherhood with
out permanent wifehood should have
| legal and religious protection. She
hshould not have to feel disgraced be-
| cause she wishes to go back to her
! business or artistic career and leave
her sex life behind after 1t had full
filled it's only purpose. This purpose
Is the reproduction OF the species and
that alone.
Teaching Them How.
IT am for harder marriage and
easier divorce. The divorce problem
can be eliminated only by teaching
young people how to choose their
mates
my suggestion for protecting the
unusual woman who has another
| interest beside the home would be
to extend marriage to meet the new
conditions which have come about
since the marriage laws were made.
II cannot retract these convic-
tions simply because the Hanson
Place Church threatens to dismiss
me. I respect their opinions but I
must stand by my own"
! DIR. Miller added:
"The feminist, in preserving her
right and individuality would
break up the home at any whim or
fancy.
| THE solution Of the problem is
not in refusing to accept limitations
but in joyous self-surrender Of the
easy freedom Of single life in form.
ing a sacred partnership Of life in
terest in which parties agree to
normal limitation Of their freedom
and merge their personalities IN a
union of service and unselfish, love-"