Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-11-01
MARRIAGE AND FREE LOVE
BY DR.. Frank Crane
xTOU are mistaken, Isabel, marria}

7
not a tyranny. 1t is not stupid custom
1t is not relic of superstition. Neither
is its popularity due to being imposed upon
by an unwilling people by laws.
Marriage continues as an institution sim
ply because people like it. They prefer it to
any other arrangement of the sexes that has
yet been proposed.
Marriage continues as an evolution. After
experimenting for several thousand years
with the high explosive of love mankind has
found that the best device for getting the
most desirable human values out Of it is
marriage.
Don't imagine that the free-love idea is
something bold and new and wonderful
The race has tried that.
Anything human will always be attended
with a certain per cent of break-downs
Many marriages are failures. Many couples
should be divorced, for their souls good
Nothing is absolutely perfect on earth, not
even the automobile.
Hence what you say of the tragedies of
married life is true. Often love cools indif-
ference; men develop into tyrants and wom-
en- into scOlds. Only too often does the rain
bow fade very soon after the honeymoon,
leaving only the repellant commonplace. We
grant all that. We have to allow about 20
per cent off all human products and
plans
If, however you examine the lives of
That's and Lais and all the fair sisters of
freedom; if you get at the facts of promis-
cuous life among European gentlemen; if
you penetrate into the inside of the Turk s
harem, and learn the real truth about kings
and patriarchs, with their numerous assist
ant wives; in short, if you ponder the whole
history of non-monogamic relations, you will
agree with me that, on the whole, heart
break, degradation, and misery are four
times as great on that side Of the fence as
on the other
You see, the sex problem is tied up with
a deal of other things, and no mortal power
or cleyerness can unite it. 1t is tied up with
poetry and romance. And there never was
a romance worthy of the name about any
other kind of love than true love You may
write dirty novels about maverick type of
affection, but YOU CAN'T SING IT.
Besides, there are children. Up to date
we have contriyed no means Of caring de-
Gently for children except the mOnogamic
home. And I am inclined to believe that
the love of children is a greater racial force
than the love of mates.
And, take it all around, we still think
that it is better for the twenty-tO-forty sec
ton of the race to behave itself and exercise
seIf-control than to send all the children to
foundItngs homes and all the old people
to the poorhOuse.
So, get it our of your head that marriage
is contrivance, artificial imposition of
priests, and all that. It's a GROWTH. 1t
is as much a product of universal instinct
and experiment as an oak tree is product
of natural selection.
Copyright, 1924.)
If a hog could be changed into man he
would make a first-class egotist.
No respectable cat would look at a king
# there is mouse in sight.
Most of the golden opportunities are only
plated
you money to carry me off-in short, that
my presence aboard this foul hulk Of yours
is due to him?"
Whom else had ye suspected" Or did
We think that I did it for my own personal
diversiOn?"
Answer me-" beloved Sir Oliver. with
ing in his bonds.
L ma answered you more than once al
ready. Still, I tell you once again, since
We are slow to understand it, that l was
paid matter of two hundred pound by your
brother. Master Lionel TressiIian, to carry
you off to Barbary and there sell you for
slave. Is that plain to you?"
AS plain as it is false. You lie, you
dog"
softly. sof-ly!" Quoth Master Leigh
g1cE-.ra. ,.r.
= say you He!"