Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-06
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. G.. NJ.
THE COMpANIONATE MARRIAGE.
Judge Ben Lindsey and Wainwright
Evans. Boni e. Liveright.

Evans. Boni e. Liveright.
Judge Ben Lindsey was in town last
week. so the papers say, to make ar
| rangements for a debate between him.
self and a Washington clergyman on
the subject OF the companionate mar
riagc."
The outcome OF that debate is a
foregone conclusion.
The audience will be small one
Its mind will be a unit against the
affirmative. regardless of the relative
value OF the arguments set out.
1t Is so much easier to stand by pre-
conceived notions than 1t is to enter
tain new ideas, so much easier to hand
IN ready-made opinions than 1t Is to
follow the logic of argument. We are
experts, all of us. in snap judgments
Therefore, this debate is settled before
it is begun.
AS for any definite idea that the
term, "companionate marriage" brings
to the mind of the average, it might
as we'll be fe-fi-fo-fum, or any other
mysterious abracadabra of nomencla-
turc. Many have not even heard of it.
Those who have stand, as rule
against the harmful maunderings of
that Juvenile judge out in Denver
Indeed l remember now that my
mothers uncle said that his sister-in-
laws cousin said that this COM
panionate marriage Is just free love,
and that's all it is" And there you
are,
A brave man. It takes such to face
pretty much the whole world drawn
up against him. For the sake of
a mission that he has wished upon
himself. 1t takes high courage to face
ignorance. to face laZiness too deep
seated to find out the truth of matter
to face false report and hostility. That
fact alone. the fact of courage. in a
morally timid world, is something TO
command attention. at least toward a
matter that deeply concerns everybody
and his children's children.
Why wouldn't Just now be the very
best time Of all to give Judge Lindsey
book. The Companionate Marriage. i"
the fair reading that so important a
question clearly deserves?
Having done this, you find Il TO be
in sum. that which the student In law
or medicine calls "a case book" To
the rest OF us 1t turns out to be a story
book. Stories and stories gathered
straight out OF life are banked in here.
AL the center Of each of these is a boy
or girl. man or a woman. married
iolkS and single. all with tragic tales to
tell. And each one is looking for some on,,
human enough. and big enough. to
listen to the bitter truth without con-
demnatlon. without Self-righteousness
Here are sad and often sordid confess
SONS OF mistake and misfortune, of i'm
pending disgrace and the awful fear
OF ones own kind Boys In ignorance
and danger. girls in panic before omen
disgrace, husbands and wives facing
equal mutual disaster.
Listening in upon these persona,
stories. the wonder grows over such
freedom of confession. such confidence
IN the silent man receiving these con-
1eSsions. No reproaches. No You've
Slnned, so Of course you must suffer
You've danced. 80 you must pay the fld-
uier.' Nothing like that. Well. Marv
or John. you are in trouble Let's see
what We can do TO help you" Some
such strain Of understanding Is in
Varlably. the sequence in the confidence
bestowed. Oh. / know, That doesn't
sun us Puritans at all. But lust a
httie over 1000 years ago a Man walked
the earth who felt just that way abou;
human mistakes and weaknesses, who
did Just about what this Denver man
was trying to do. He helped.
Out of such experiences. MANY
and many of them. must have grown
up IN the mind Of Judge Lindsey very
serious ideas respecting marriage as il
Is now looked upon and maintained, And
ne said, quite naturally and truth
iuliy. that other human institutions
nave changed. or are changing, under
ne" social conditions. new social de-
mands. BY the amazing power of
adaptation these others have not only
survived. but they are functioning as
wen IN way calculated TO keep pace
WIN the new conditions-in a way cal
cuIated 10 contribute vigorously to our
expanding existence. And he said
further. no doubt, that he could see
no reason why the institution OF mar
riage should not become a more active
agent OF human happiness and social
weil-oeng than 1t now is. For clearly
today 1t seems TO be the direct source
OF utility and misery. not only 10 the
responsible principals. but TO families
OF helpless children as we'll.
ANA so, after much experience and
many long thinkings, Judge Lindsey
adopted the "companionate marriage. {"
Not AS a panacca-~nut that, 10 be sure
rather as measure carefully designed
10 give more of stability aud happiness
To marriage than II reveals i'll the pres
ent TO even the most casual observer.
NOW We as a people live, and appear
10 thrive. on MISUNDERSTANDING largely
because we are too busy. or too lazy. To
tniNk- IN this case We set out by mis-
interpreting Judge Lindsey at what. 10
the general public. Is vital point So.
let us hear Judge Lindsey himself talk
for minute.
"Companionatc marriage is legal
marriage Please draw a mark under
that FIRST and important statement.
Companionate marriage is already an
established social fact in this country.
IL Is convcntionally respectable" Then
the Judge has something 10 say about
iegali2ed birth control and about the
right OF divorce by mutual consent for
chlldlcss couples, All men and women
who are sensible and honest THE Judge
taking again-~"know when they marry
that there Is nj least possibility OF
failure ahead But they assume that
The chance Is remote, They have conf
dence III their ability 10 weather NIL
storms and make port 1t is their III
tention To do that, ana 10 make such
adjustments ny may be- necessary 10
that end That is marriage, That Is
the spirit OF marriage. II involves the
SAME recognition oi risk that goes into
trial marriage ito which Judge Lindsay
stands III open and stout oppoSitioni.
but Il strongly proposes 10 overcome
and nullify that risk. IL emphatically
does not propose 10 seek divorce the
moment the flame Of romantic passion
begins tn cool "
Nov. the trouble with this attitude
In ordinary marriage Is that not enough
account Is taken III the risk II The
trial marriage psychology puts too
much emphasis ON the risk. the
psychology ot traditional marriage bull
hcadedly ignores II altogether. The re-
suit Is that couples who make u miS~
take In their choice ot each other md
that III getting into marriage they have
walked into II trap, There Is room for
sane compromise between the tWN eN-