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VOLUME
• S. W1sE of
)ject this time
l'' Dr. Wise
the country to
: has long been
1g the Jewish
critic of men
he has just rethe Old World,
►f Palestine and
;ainst their own
d-letter night at
:acfarlane's topic
ck." and he him-
NUMBER
2
NOVEMBER 2, 1913
By EARL BARNES*
ELLOW STUDENTS: The subject
with which we are -deal!ng tonight
is probably the most difficult !hat
could be brought before a m~ed
audience, I suppose the very ~ormulatmg ·
-of the question would gravely disturb most
of 't he conservative people who are not
here.
(Laughter.) Even we
who are. here
must all of us
feel a real anxiety concerning
the good judgment and taste
and
reticence
with which this
subject should ·
he
presented.
Certainly
the
speaker
feels
the need of
your sympathy
an d
forbearance, for this
Earl Barnes.
is ·one of t~e
most
crucial
and most important of questions. Many
imagine that in such a discussion we may be
inclined to abolish the family. Every movement is supposed to threaten the destruction
of the family-socialism, syndicalism, woman suffrage. But institutions are practically
never accidents. When you~get large numbers of people organized in some form of
effective self-expression, through a · long
period of time, that institution was not
formed for the sake of making• the motions to form it. ·. There is something behind it. Ford Hall, for instance, succeeds
where others fail because of an elemental
need, a fundamental hunger, for knowledge
and worship. All institutions go back to
F
ea.ch other. 1Vhen two- co-operate in the
deep intimacies of personal life, then only
we have a real fulfilment of life. Individual romantic love could not be destroyed by
changing the. sex ideas of everybody in the
United States. Bishop Vincent, founder of
the Chautauqua, sa:d, speaking of his wife
and of the women in any man's life, "They
make us or they unmake us." For a child
that I loved I would wish just this: a happy
~nd continuous marriage.
There are three very serious defects in
the institution., we call marriage. 1. It
lacks a sound foundation in the scientific
truth of the modern world. Like all other
institutions it tends to blend in with related institutions:-relation with the church
makes it a SP.crament, with the state a contract, with professional advancement a
financial arrangeme:nt. But it is without
relation to the scientific beliefs of well-being; it has no eugenic conscience. Individuals have ihis, 1.Jut not the family. In 200
years people will refuse i:o believe that the
state sanctioned and the church solemnized
marriages that meant almost certainly imbecile or . otherwise defective children. We
must change this whole conception. The
marriage of a broken-down ·old blackguard
and a y:oung, her,lthy girl is an infamy.
(Applause.)
T;HE LITTLE GIRL AND THE
PUSSY CAT
By Burgess Johnston
Instead of a prayer, Mr. Coleman
read the following poem, because it
breathes ZortiJ. the real spirit of the
Ford Hall Meetings:
Said a little girl to a pussy-cat:
"It's jolly to make you play!
.. .
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PRICE FIVE CENTS
THE FAMILY ' OF· THE FUTURE
:
l\
K MACFARLANE,
II
-
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A MAGAZINE OF NEIGHBORLINESS
I
, so fortunate as
)f Mr. Coleman
:ch appeared in
looking forward
aker for the last
.-.
.
-
jfor~ JHall jfolks
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2. The family as it exists today secures
the subordination of woman · to the family
group in a way that is absolutely unjust.
· (Applause.)
I marvel that women will
marry, unless they are so much in love that
they think the n;.an is different from all
others. Think of the difference between the
life of a married woman, tied to the home
and the children, and of a married man,
out in the world. The woman is at a tre·mendous handicap of narrowing circumstances.
In this partnership, as in all
others, property ii; important; it is the body
in which the soul must live. Shaw says:
"The greatest of all crimes is poverty."
The married woman has no body for her
soul-no goods-no money. The partnership to begin v:ith is one of full participation, but she gets nothing out of it. She
may eat more, have more dothes; than the
man, but she j., pr.or v.rhile she has no property of her own. She has no vital relation
to the powe:- tha:: iies in money. Go into
almost any farrr,er's or artisan's family and
you will find today pure and simple feudalism of the vintage of 1750. (Mr. Barnes
illustrated this poinL by the story of his own
grandmother, who put $700 into the parnership when she married, but in the end
got only a third life interest in his estate.)
I know two men who make soap. One stays
at the factory; one goes out, but they share
equally in the profits. We have got to
change the family on this fundamental base
of' the relation of the man and woman to
it. It is going to be very hard to change-it is almost impossible for a woman to feel
that her husband's property is her own,
even when ti.lat arrangement is made, and
it is even h"rcler for a man to make the
arrangement. We should provlde legally
that money possessed at the time of marriage, or -gained later by inheritance,
should remain individual. A woman should
not take any of the man's money at mar-
1
Lld.Cl-,
be
presented.
Certainly
the
speaker
feels
the need of
your sympathy
an d
forbearance, for this
Earl Barnes.
is 'one of the
rn o s t
crucial
and inost important of questions. Many
imagine that in such a discussion we may be
inclined to abolish the family. Every movement is supposed to threaten the destruction
of the family-socialism, syndicalism, woman suffrage. But institutions are practically
never accidents. When you get large numbers of people organized in some form of
€fl'ective self-expression, through a long
_period of time, that institution was not
formed for the sake of making• the motions to form it. · There is sometliing ·bellind it. Ford Hall, for instance., succeeds
where others fail because of an elemental
need, a fundamental hunger, for knowledge
and worship. All institutions go back to
some such hunger. This is the bed-rock on
which the family is based.
We are edu~ahle at all only by reason of
' certain hung~rs, desires, driving impulses
in our lives. The person who is tremendously hungry on all sides of his nature you
can teach anything. The person who is not
'hungry at all is a fool. Idiots have no hun~
ger except for food; a man like Leonardo
·da Vinci is hungry for so many things that
this hunger drives him to greatness. Hungers must find their fulfilment through
group. activities. - The most powerful of
these hungers is that of sex, which starts
· early in life, and after puberty is the dominant force. It transforms the physical appearance; it develops physical and mental
secondary i::ex · attributes. Our art and lit€rature today are impregnated with sex
feeling. n · is -vastly more than a biological
instinct. Tu describe a highly perfect man
today, one would have · to use many words
descriptive of sex characteristics. We are
not going Lo desfroy all this by tinkering
with the family. The kind of family I am
discussing is that of a man and woman who
love each other nnd the children born of
that love. The unit must be, not a man or
a womari, but a man and woman who love
*The speech and the question s nnd
.,~ reported by Mirinm Allen d e Ford.
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financial arrangemE:nt. But it. is without
relation to the scientific beliefs of well-being; it has no eugenic conscience. Individuals have ihis, but not the family . In 200
years people will refuse to believe that the
state sanctioned and the church solemnized
marriages that meant almost certainly imbecile or . otherwise defective children. We
must change this whole conception. The
marriage of a broken-down old blackguard
and a young, he<hy -girl is an in!amy.
(Applause.)
may eat more, have more clotnes, tnan Lue
man, but she i.;; pc:nr v, hile she has no property of her own. She has no vital relation
to the powe:- tha: iies in money. Go into
almost any fa.nr,er's or artisan's family and
you will find today pure and •
simple feudalism of the vintage of 1750. (Mr. Barnes
illustrated this poinL by the story of his own
grandmothe:-, who put $700 into the parnership when she married, but in the end
got only a third life interest in his estate.)
I know two men who make soap. One stays
at the factory; one goes out, but they share
equally in the profits. We have got to
change the family on this fundamental base
THE LITTLE GIRL AND THE
of · the relation of the. man and . woman to
PUSSY CAT
it. It is going to be very hard to changeit is almost impossible for a woman to feel
By Burgess Johnston
that her husband's property is her own·,
Instead of a prayer, Mr. Coleman
even when ti.lat arrangement is made, and
read foe following poem, because it
it is even hRrcler for a man to make the
arrangement. We should provi.de legally
breathes forth the real spirit of the
that money possessed at the time of marFord Hall Meetings:
riage, or ·gained later by inheritance,
Said :i. llttle girl to a pussy-cat:
should remain individual. A woman should
"It's jolly to make you play!
not take any of the man'$ money at marHow so- t you purr when I stroke your
f
riage, either; tile present arrangement cretur,
ates a bribe to legalized prostitution. But
And your claws are all tucked
all money earned by the husband and wife
away!
from the time of their marriage should be
I love you ever so much for that,"
common money, split in two in the middle.
Said a little girl to a pussy-cat.
That is the law in Idaho, and will be the
"But oh, there's a terrible thing I've
law all over the country when we have womhea.r.d, an suffrage. I don't want women to have
That brings great sorrow to me:
money to spend or to keep-they have that
You killed a poor little baby bird
now-but to own, to have a body in which
That lived in our apple-tree.
to work out their own souls.
·
You can't oe dear to me after that,"
3. In 200 years, again, who will believe
_ aid '} little girl to a pussy-cat.
S
that men and women once had to live together when they did not love each other?
" O, little maid," said the pussy-cat,
Love is the only justification for marriage.
"You are gentle and kind, they say,
If people live together without love, what
To bird and beast, but didn't YOU
have we but prostitution of the body? An
feast
Englishman can procure an injunction for
On chi-:ken for lunch today?
the restoration of marital rights-and that
And aren't there feathers upon your
is legalized rape. Such a situation ·is
hat,
wrong, it is wicked; and some day we shall
0, little n aid?" said the pussy-cat.
- straighten it ,mt. You will say: "Do you
"Oh, I'll :Je I, and you·ll be you,
mean to stand for free divorce?
It
As long as this world shall be.
is the destruction of the family." You
If you'll be as good as you can d or
cannot destroy the family.
All you
you,
. .-:.- .
can destroy is some of the broken
I'll try to be good for me. . • .. . . _ limbs on · 1.he tree.
In the meantime
So let's be friends, and agre_~- fo::thal:(: · ,. -we· are afraid of divorce. In the past 20
O, little maid!" said t:he pussy-cat.~·· .... > years there l1ave been over a million di'
. _
·
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THE -QUESTIONNAIRE
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Q: Aren't the ministers of the gospel
responsible for marrying people without
finding out whether they are fit to be
united?
A: Those connected with an institution
must play the game in accordance with its
rules. You cannot expect a minister to
break away from his institution and go out
as an individ1ral.
Q: Do you believe in the celibacy of the
cler"gy?
A: Celibacy was once believed to be a
virtue. A perfectly fair-minded man would
say that celibacy in a well-organized,
healthy man or woman, barring deep emotional catastrophe behind him, is a crime.
(Applause.)
Q: Is not this question of eugenics
really a question of the conservation of the
race?
A: Yes; thank you for putting it that
way.
Q: What is going to be the effect on the ·
family of the future if the woman takes an
economically independent stand and earns
money?
·
A: I should have removed the possibility of that question. I don't want her to
do that except as she is doing it now. I
want her to be paid for what she is doing.
Q: By changing present economic conditions would you not bring about more
successful marriage?
·
A: Not witho,1t _changing men's ideals
also. Of course, economic conditions today
· place a large premium on late marriage,
for people are unwilling to start where
their parents did.
Q: What is your opinion of "Damaged
Goods?"
A: It rais-=s the question of teaching
sex morality through pathology. In general, teaching by false syntax is bad. Personally, I deprecate pathological teaching.
Q: Is not much marital infelicity due to
the transference of love from a Platonic to
a physical pl?.ne?
A: So far as I know, love in its highest
manifestation between men and women is
most secure when it has a deep and strong
,.,,....;n,-:.1
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FORD HALL FOLKS
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state opportunity for and compulsion of
cure.
Q: Would not the introduction of sex
·hygiene in public schools bring about good
results?
A: Sex hygiene is now being introduced
in every sort of educational institution.
Personally, I think that in a time when the
public mind is greatly disturbed, if you do
exactly right ~,ou'll do a lot of wrong. The
responsibility should lie with the parents;
but you can educate parents only by educating the new generation. It is a diflic"ult
problem.
Q: In case of divorce, which parent
_
should have the child?
A: That is a matter for individual judgment, but the other parent s· ould have full
h
opportunity to see it frequently.
Q: What are- the cause and remedy of
prostitution?
A: We will not know until after the
Rockefeller Institute has completed its investigations. I should like to ask: Why do
men patronize prostitutes?
(Applause.)
Q: Should a man remarry when his
wife dies, after having ·b orne him children?
A: In spite of the indissoluble power of
love, this depends entirely upon the subjective state of the man after his wife's
dE.'ath.
Q: Must there not be a change in the
public conscience with reference to the relations of the sexes before these evils can
be overcome in the- individuals?
A: In other words, must we not eliminate the do~tble standard? Today we must
have absolute equality; some day we shall
understand and adjust better masculine and
feminine characteristics.
·
Q: How can people be healthy today
when the food is not pure?' (Applause.)
A: That is not my problem.
Q: How do you reconcile the problems
of eugenics with the all-important relation
of love?
A: Perfectly. All we are proposing to
do is to cut out the unfit marriages. The
work is negative. Then we will allow free
play to romantic love among the fit.
I do not kno.w why those who do not assume ,the responsibilities of parenthood
should not bear an extra burden.
Q: Is knowledge of sex moral power?
A: Is knowledg!') of any particular thing
backing for moral conduct in that thing?
A wide knowledge of the fundamental facts
of sexual hygiene and expression would lift
group conduct everywhere.
Q: If men and women love each other
for their good qualities before marriage.
and. after marriage find those qualities different, who is to blame?
A: Why should anybody ask that we
should always reach tire right conclusion?
They are both to blame.
Q: Is not Alfred Russell Wallace, in
"Social Environment and Moral Progress,"
right in opposing "eugenics ·because the female today concentrates ·on property instead of on the qualities of her mate?
A: Of course. (Applause.)
The thing
will only be corrected when the general
public recosnizes that as prostitution.
Q: What does love constitute? (Laughs
ter.)
A: The questioner is even younger than
he looks. .All I can say is that nobody on
earth can explain, but that you will find
out. (Laughter and applause.)
Q: Is Platonic friendship possible between young rnen and women?
A: It is an extremely dangerous experiment. (Applause.)
..
Q: What do you think of intermarriage
between pe•)ple of different races?
A: It is one of the most important scientific •problems now before thoughtful men
and women, and we have no definite knowiedge bearing upon it.
Q: What do you think of trial marriages
with a three-year limit?
A: I ha-Ve offered something vastly better
than
that-a
marriage
carefully
guarded, _ be c.::rried on as long as it is a.
to
real marriage.
Q (Mr. Sagerman): How is love possible with poverty?
A: There is demonstration of the fact
everywhere. Love does not depend upon
a purse.
Q: What do you think· of legislation
with reference to vasectomy?
A: In some cases restricted sterilization
is desirable.
Q : Is not the displacing of men by machinerv a ,cnrn,<' nf nrnstitntinn?
.j
\.
Miss FollettJ
workers of the
last Sunday ni
thing Ford Hal
l
On the ubtfc
Secretary Dilloi
chester, N. H.,
are greatly inti
establish in th
ours. They cai
out just how W:
will be others f:
same errand, ir
is to serve as t'
1
1
1 .
It was a. we
night to note t:
· which men a;1d
other, discussed
family life.
'1
sounded throng!
very rare priviL
in earnest to m:
1
There were fc
the Ford Hall :E
in spite of the j'
time was given
bi!ity of inaugllj
classes for those
day evenings. j
this sort. espedl
our constituend
vice. Ylessrs. F]
kind bore the hr
Messrs. Su!li,·:1rJ
appointed a cotj
forward and rel
the Folks.
I
Those of YOlli
one of these se
the Ford Hall Fl
are missin;.\'. W
Hall, Ford Bui!<i
f- hn
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tional catastrophe behind him, is a cnme. SllUUJU lid.Vt: l.UC 1.., uuu.
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._. - - A: That is a matter for individual judg- public recog-nizes that as prostitution.
( Applause.)
ment, but the other parent should have full
Q: Is not this question of eugenics
Q : What does love constitute? (Laughreally a question of the conservation of the opportunity to see it frequently.
ter.)
Q: What are the cause and remedy of 4. A: The questioner is even younger than
·race?
'.A.: Yes; thank you for putting it that . prostitution?
he looks. All I can say is that nobody on
A: We will not know until after the earth can explain, but that you will find
way.
Rockefeller Institute has completed its in- out. (Laughter and applause.)
Q: What is going to be the effect on the
family of the future if the woman takes an vestigations. I should like to ask: Why do
Q: Is Platonic friendship possible beec"momlcally independent stand and earns men patronize prostitutes? (Applause.)
tween yo ung men and women?Q: Should a man remarry when his
money?
·
A: It is an extremely dangerous experiA : I should have removed the possibil- wife dies-, after having borne him children? ment. (Applause.)
A: In spite of the indissoluble power of
ity of that question. I don't want her to
Q: What do you think of intermarriage
love, this depends entirely upon ,t he sub- between people of different races?
do that except as she is doing it now. I
want her to be pa.id for what she is doing. jective state of the man after his wife's
A : It is one of the most important scidEath.
Q: By changing present economic conentific problems now before thoughtful men
Q: Must there not be a change in the
. ditions would you not bring about more
and -women, and we have no definite knowipublic conscience with reference to the re- edge bearing upon it.
successful marriage?
A: Not without changing men's ideals lations of the sexes before these evils can
Q: What do you think of trial marriages
also. Of course, economic conditions today be overcome in the individuals?
with a three-year limit?
A: In other words, mU:st we not elimplace a large premium on late marriage,
A: I have offered something vastly betfor · people are unwilling to start where inate the do'!Ible .standard? Today we must ter
than
that-a
marriage
carefully
have absolute equality; some day we shall guarded, to be carried on as long as it is a
their parents did.
.
understand and adjust better masculine and real marriage.
Q: What is your opinion of "Damaged
feminine characteristics.
Goods?"
Q (Mr. Sagerman): How is love possiQ: How ·c an people be healthy today
A: It raises the question of teaching
ble with poverty?
sex morality through pathology. In gen- when .the food is not pure? (Applause.)
A : There is demonstration of the fact
A: That is not my probJ('m.
eral, teaching by false syntax is bad. Pereverywhere. Love does not depend upon
sonally, I deprecate pathological teaching.
Q : Fi:ow do you reconcile the problems
a purse.
Q: Is not much marital infelicity due to
of eugenics with' the all-important relation
Q: What do you think of legislation
the transference of love from a Platonic to of love?
with reference to vasectomy?
a physical pl?.ne?
·
A: Perfectly. All we are proposing to
A: In some cases restricted sterilization
A: ·So far as I know, love in its highest do is to cut out the unfit .marriages. The is desirable.
manifestation between men an·d women is work is negative. Then we will allow free
Q: Is not the displacing of men by mamost secure when it has a deep and strong play to romantic love among the fit.
chinery a cause of prostitution?
animal • basis. But it must rise above. that
Q: Would not compulsory state cure of
A : It is true it has made marriage late
basis. (Applause.)
disease encourage immorality?
by driving women into public life.
A: What we have got to do is to segre· Q (Mr. Victorson): Can we eliminate
Q: Whe11 a woman's economic position
an · age-old evil by a quarter century of leg- gate syphilis as if it were smallpox.
is such that she accepts the first proposal
Q: Does the love which precedes marislation? Must it not be eliminated just as ·
for a home, how can you give her suggesriage follow marriage, or aren't the children tions about eugenics, and · waiting six
slowly as it was implanted?
A : I am not very ardent after legisla- the cause of the bond that exists between months to make up her mind?
A: That is another difficulty. It does
tion. We are laying a foundation in public married people?
A: You can't have married happiness not strike dire::tly at the problem.
opinion which may in time express itself in
based on nothing but duty . to the children.
Q: Do not economic conditions make
legislation with benefit. But it does not
require as much time to -destroy as to
Q: Is it not necessary for the soul and · ideals, rather than vice versa? vVas it not
build up;- See the quickness of the change body of the individual to be in perfect har- economic conditions that made possible the
• former making of marriages for children by
from monarchy to democracy.
mony before marriage?
Q (Miss Rogolsky): In calling poverty
A : The period of courtship determines parents?
A: Economic conditions cause all the
a crime. would . you take into consideration very largely the spiritual qualities of the
miseries of life. But man's volition can
the fact' that many great men were poor and new generation.
·
do something even then.
many rich ones worth nothing?
Q : If the man and woman share the inQ: Is it not against human nature for
A: It is an American belief that pov- come, how will you allot the expenses of the
one man to love one woman all his life, and
erty is the recipe for greatness. In fact home and the upbringing of the children?
greatness in poverty means only an unA: Manage it just like any business. vice versa? (Laughter.)
A: I believe that monogamy with the
usual escape from .a harmful background . Pay the running expenses of the business
Great men are not produced from nothing- first and share the rest between the part- freedom I am advocating would ·be more the
rule than it is now. There is a bond be. ness.
ners. (Applanse.)
Q: Do · you believe in trial marriage? If
Q: How about the large number forbid- tween married people which grows with
not, what remedy is there?
den to marry who yet have sexual instincts? their living together.
Q: Isn't modern science responsible for
A: No; I want to make marriage more Are they not dangerous to society?
difficult, not easier. My remedy is all I
A: It .is a difficulty ; that is all I can the great number of degenerates who fill
have said tonight. (Applause.)
say. Th~y are still more dangerous perpet- our institutions?
A: I don't see any connection.
Q: How would you relieve those who ·uating their kind .
Q: If there is love between man and
· are unfit for marriage by disease, but who
Q (Mr. Brown): How about a tax on
could be made well if they had sufficient old bachelors ".:i:J.d old maids? (Laughter.) • woman, won't the property issue sink into
financial means for treatment?
A: Seriously, the man or woman who the background, and the woman think it
A: One of the principles of eugenics is rears young children ·in a community not necessary that she have property?
(Continued on Page 4.)
insistence on the wiping out of disease, by should have certain advantages given him.
~
-·-
same errand, includir
is to serve as the ch~
*
It was a wonderf'
night to note the pe1
which men a::id worn
other, discussed the
family life. There
sounded throu3hout.
very rare privilege, a
in earnest to make th
*
There were forty-fr
the Ford Hall Folks
in spite of the nasty
time was given to a ,
bility of inau;;urating
classes for those who
day evenings. It is 1:
this sort, espedally a
our constituency, wo1
vice. Messrs. Foster,
kind bore the hrunt o
Messrs. Sulli,:111 and
appointed a committ(
forward and report ~
the Folks.
"'
Those -of yo u whc
one of these semi-oc
the Ford H'ill Follrn !
are missing. vV ~ mE
Hall, Ford Building,
the considerati on o:
means for advancing
Then we take suppei
twenty-five cents eac
·half hour. ·Our 11ex1
for Sunday, :Nov. 23
terested in the Ford
come. Just s,c,nd wo1
Ford Hall that _you
proper provision <. an
·
"'
Have you noticed 1
questions asked? T
stereotyped sort; ra1
jest and pertinency.
ual resource of no m
The courage and
consciousness so nu
who does his share
of an impediment in
most of us is very st:
all face our difficult
does, if we could ;
completely as he doe.
ress we might m,;.ke.
Our sunny Italian
has an awful stru1
when he attemots t
but he generally ma:
he is driving at. I
·when he pointed 01
that if some of us WE
would loo~ as foolis
he seemed to appear
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FORD HALL FOLKS
who do not asof parenthood.
burden.
moral power?
· particular thing
t in that thing?
·undamental facts
·ession would lift
love each other
before marriage,
.ose qualities dif:iy ask that we
right conclusion?
sell Wallace, in
Moral Progress,"
; because the feon property in. her mate?
1se.) The thing
hen the general
orostitution.
istitute? (Laugh'en younger than
; that nobody on
at you will find
use.)
hip possible be1en?
iangerous experiof intermarriage
races?
st important sci~ thoughtful men
.o definite knowi,f trial marriages
thing vastly betTiage
carefull y
,s long as it is a
w is love possition of the fact
.ot depend upon
k of legislation
1y?
cted sterilization
; of men by ma:ution?
de marriage late
blic life .
conomic position
he first proposal
give her su_ _ esgg
AS IT LOOKS-TO ME
By GEORGE W. COLEMAN
Director of the Ford Hall Meetings
Miss Follett, one of the leading social
workers of the city, thought the meeting
last Sunday night was · about the biggest
thing Ford Hall has yet done.
*
*
*
On the platform last' Sunday night were
Secretary Dillon of the Y. M. C. A. of Manchester, N. H., and two fellow-citizens, who
are greatly interested in the movement to
establish in thei,• own city a forum like
ours. They came down especially to find
out just how we do it. Next Sunday there
will be others from Manchester, bent on the
same errand, inclu.ding the gentleman who
is to serve .as the chairman of their forum.
*
* *
It was a. wonderful thing last Sunday
night to note the perfectly natural way in
which men U!ld women, strangers to each
other, discm;sed the intimate relations of
family life. · There wasn't a false note
sounded throughout. it was an evening of
very rare privilege, and everyone was dead
in earnest to make the most of it.
* * *
There were forty-five at the gat:hering of
the Ford Hall Folks last Sunday afternoon,
in spite of the nasty weather. Most of the
time was given to a discussion of the possibility of inaugurating mid-week educational
classes for those who attend Ford Hall Sunday evenings. It is believed that a wo rk of
this sort, espe,~ia.lly adapted to the needs of
our constituen cy, would render a great service. Messrs. Foster, Goldberg and Schnittkind bore the hrunt of the discussion. With
Messrs. Sum-.,-:iu and Miss Smith, they were
appointed a committee to carry the matter
forward and report at the next meeting of
the Folks.
"'
*
*
Those of you who have never attended
one of these semi-occasional gatherings of
the Ford Hall Fol:rn do not realize what you
are missin~. WC! meet at 3.30 in Kingsley
Hall, Ford Building, and spend the time in
the consideration of · practical ways and.
means for advancing our whole enterprise.
Then we take SU[lper together at a cost of
twenty-five cents each, and have a social
·half hour. ·Our next meeting is scheduled
fnr
~nnr1.,,.
, .. ......
..,.,,
About four hundred copies of the magazine were sold in the hall last Sunday night,
-the best yet, Mr. London says, but we need
to make it five hundred. We have over
sixty names on the regular subscription list,
but we ought to have two hundred.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Mr. earthy, t he rugged-looking gentleman
with the white flowing beard, is as full of
sunshine as ever this season, but happily
the thunders ,,f applause do not delay his
questioning as they did last season.
Already there are twenty enrolled in the
chorus, and they had their first rehearsal
last Sunday :ctt half-past six. Mr. Gutterson
is a past master at this sort of work; it is
worth something to sit un-der his instruction, not to mention being sure of a good
seat every Sunday night in Ford Hall.
"What does love constitute?" asked the
young questioner. A very dear woman said
to me, as we left the hall together, "The
very word 'cons ti tt;te' means held together,
and love is the thing that holds together the
life of a :nan and woman." But as . the
speaker well said, the young man will be
quite likely to find out all about it very
soon.
Is modesty a vice or a virtue? Should
men wait for political office to seek them
instead of scrambling for it? Do we wait
for -a business job to discover us,. ·or do we
go out after it? Is it immodest to have your
picture appear .in the newspaper? Then
why isn't it immodest to stand up and face
a great congregation of people?
When I was young reporter I got a very
striking lesson on . the subject of modesty
which has remained with me to this day.
My chief sent me to the home of one of
Boston's greatest preachers to get an interview with him and secure a copy of his
portrait. It was at a. time of great excite•
ment over a school question, and the great
man h-ad take>11 a conspicuous part in the
public discussion of it.
He made so muc11 of a fuss over refusing
to let me have his portrait for publication
a
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could have been secured in· another way)
that my great admiration for him was
turned into disgust and I left him with a.very strong inclination to advise him when~
ever he faced his great congregation ever
afterward to preach to them with a veil over
his face and t.hus save from all harin his
tender, delicate sense of modesty.
Maybe I was wrong, but I felt intuitively
that it was mock modesty that made a public man fuss a.bout allowing his portrait to,
appear in a. !lewspaper. And I made up my
mind then and there that while I would
never seek personal publicity, neither
would I run a way from it when it · came my
way in the regular course of the work in.
which I was engaged.
A man or a woman who is doing things
that concern or interest the public has no
good reason for retusing to meet them face
to face in the public print. Modesty con••
sists not alone in declining to c:all attention
to one's self, but also in not refusing a just
and reasonable demand on the pare of the
public for a ,:loser acquaintance.
Real modP.sty consists in being uncon•
scions of one's self. In that state of mind,
with your · vision fixed on some object above
yourself, you can modestly do or leave undone a great many things which might very
properly be characterized as grossly immodest with a different thought behind
them.
In our questionnaire at Ford Hall Sunday
evenings we do not allow questions to be·
sent to the p latform in written form, and
one very important reason for that is that
the man or woman's personality expressed
by their presence·· adds so very much to the
significance ,Jf the question. In a similar
way a pri"nted portrait helps you to under•
stand a little better the individual about
whom you are reading. Isn't it natural for
a man's face to go wherever he goes, and so
if he himself r;ets ir:to the newspapers, why
shouldn't his face keep him company?
C. Herbert Smith, of Bangor, Maine,
writes:
"Several years ago I was a regular at•
tendant of your Sunday night · meetings.
They were the one thing I missed most
when I -left Boston. They did much -to
change my trend of thought. It developed
in me a strong desire to understand other
people and their problems, and I know I
take a more sympathetic interest in every•
thing and everybody than I otherwise
would have.
"I happened to be in Boston last Sunday
night a:nd heard John Graham Brooks, and
enjoyed him immensely. Since I cannot attoT"lr1
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time was given to a discussion of the possibility of inaugurating mid-week educational
cl~ses for those who attend Ford Hall Sunday evenings. It is believed that a work of
this sort. espedally adapted to the needs of
our constituency, would render a great service. Messrs. Foster, Goldberg and Schnittkind bore the hrunt of the discussion. With
Messrs. Sulliv:111 and Miss Smith, they were
appointed a committee to carry the matter
forward and report at the next meeting of
the Folks.
.
k~owirnages
~ y betlrefully
it is a
I
t possi~e fact
i upon
"'
slation
*
*
Those -of you who have never attended
one of these semi-occasional gatherings of
the Ford Hall Folks do not realize what you
are missing. vVe meet at 3.30 in Kingsley
Hall, Ford Building, and spend the time in
the consideration of practical ways and
means ·for advancing our whole enterprise.
Then we take supper together at a cost of
twenty-five cents each, and have a social
·h alf hour. · ·Our next meeting is scheduled
for Sunday, :Nov. 23d. Anyone who is interested in the Ford Hall Meetings is welcome. Just st:>nd word to Miss Crawford at
Ford Hall that _you are coming so that
proper provision ean be made in advance.
t:at::
~e late
.osition
roposaI
~:gg:i~
does
f
make ·
it not
ble the
by
:,:
fen
[n
the
m can
r
µ-e
for
fe, and
.h the
~~ ~e:
· with
ble for
lho fill
'\
*
quite likely to find out all about it very
soon.
*
*
a
Ford Hall Folks
Edited by Thomas Dreier.
*
Have you noticed the improvement in the ·
questions asked? There are fewer of the
stereotyped sort; rarely do they lack both
jest and pertinency. They reveal intellectual resource of no mean order.
The courage and the . utter lack of selfconsciousness so manifest in our brother
who does his share of questioning in spite
of an impediment in speech that would cow
most of us is very ·.stimulating. If we would
· all face our difficulties as resolutely as he
does, if we could all forget ourselves as
completely as he does, how much more progress we might ma)i:e. ·
Our sunny Italian friend from Florence
has an awful struggle with the English
when he attempts to get in his questions,
but he generally makes us understand what
he is driving at. Do you recall the time
when he pointed out with great difficulty
that if some of us were in his native city we
would loo~ as foolish to his compatriots as
he seemed to appear to many of us?
*
Is modesty a vice or a virtue? Should
men wait for political 6ffice to seek them
instead of scrambling for it? Do we wait
for a business job to discover us, or -do we
go out after it? Is it immodest to have your
picture appear ln the newspaper? Then
why isn't it immodest to stand up and face
a great congregation of people?
When I was young reporter I got a very
striking lesson on the subject of modesty
which has remained with me to this day.
My chief sent me to the home of one of
Boston's greatest preachers to get an interview with him and secure a, copy of his
portrait. :rt was at a time of great excitement over a school question, and the great
man had take,1 a conspicuous part in the
public discussion of it.
He made so much of a fuss over refusing
to let me have his portrait for publication
(a copy of which, without much difficulty,
UBLISHED weekly by the Ford
Hall Associates, whose work
is to create, assemble, and
'listribute ideas that will help
men and institutions grow more
helpful in serving society, · and which
will promote "peace on earth, good
will toward men." It is the official
publication of the Ford Hall Meetings, ·,vhich are held; under the direction of George W. Coleman, every
Sunday c;Yening during the months of
October to May, in Ford Hall, Ashburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts.
All bufiness communications should
be sent lo Miss Mary C. Crawford,
Treasurer Ford Building, Boston; ··
.and all communications intended for
the editor to The Thomas Dreier Service, University Press, Cambridge,
Mass.
··, ·
P
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'-•'-1-'J. C~:)t::U
by their presence adds so very much to the
significance ,Jf the question. In a similar
way a printeu. portrait helps :vou to understand a little better the individual about
whom. you are reading. Isn't it natural for
a man's face to go wherever he goes, and so
if he himself r;ets into the new:;papers, why
shouldn't his face keep him company?
C. Herbert Smith, of Bangor, llfaine,
writes:
"Several years ago I . was a regular attendant of your Sunday night · meetings.
They were the one thing I missed most
when I -left Boston. They did much to
change my trend of thought. It developed
in me a strong desire to understand other
people and their problems, and I know I
take a. more sympathetic interest in everything and everybody than I otherwise
would have.
"I happened to be in Boston last Sunday
night and heard John Graham Brooks, and
enjoyed him immensely. Since I cannot attend the Ford Hall meetings, I am very
glad to subscribe for your paper."
SEARCHLIGHTS.
By George \V. Coleman.
Here is a book of human-interest essays that
breathe forth n eighborliness, good-will, and understanding of the problems of every-lay folks.
Mr. Coleman has put much of himself into these
182 pages. The edition is limited. PRICE, 75
Cents, Postpaid.
THE THOMAS DREIER SERVICE,
University Press, Cambridge, l\lass.
BRUNO MFG. CO.
Established 1892
Parfumerie
Tonics of fine
ounce, $1.00.
from a dram
Call on us.
Francaise, Powders, Creams, Halr
quality. Perfumes worth $3.00 per
Those worth $1.00, 50c. We sell
to a gallon to you ·at wholesale.
21A TEMPLE ST., BOSTON, MASS.
Back of State House, 2 minutes from Ford H_all.
JUST OUT!
The Romance of the American Theatre
By MARY CAROLINE CRAWFORD
( Secretary of the Ford Ha 11 Meetings.)
This book about plays, playhouses and players
l:tas, also, a chapter dealing with the social
drama o! our own day. Sixty illustrations.
_ For sale at all book-sellers.
Price $2.50.
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4 .·
FORD HALL FOLKS
GATHERED ALON.G THE TRAIL
By
THOMAS DREIER
JAKE BROWN & SONS.
\KE BROWN owned the general store at
the crossroads, and was the father of
- three sons whose chief .b usiness in Jife,
judging by th·e time invested in it, was to
disagree with one another. When they were
not helping their father wait on customers
they were quarreling among themselves.
Jim could never make a statement without
arousing the anger of either Sam or B111,
and if by any chance Bill said something
which met with the approval of Jim, Sam
was sure to bring in a minority report with
much heat and profanity.
One doesn't have to know much about
husiness to see clearly that this quarreling
did not add to the efficiency of ·the sales
force. The father determined to put a stor
to it. He talked with the boys, scolded
them, begged foem for the sake of the business to quit. But talking to them did no
good. Each son insisted that his point of
view was the right one. No argument had
power to bring about a change for the better.
One day J >lke called the boys to him and
said: "I have placed a new sign on the front
of this store. I want you to look at it and
tell me what you think of it. Jim, I want
you to • go across the road and look at it
from that point. You, Sam, go down to the
right about fifty yards and tell me how it
looks from there, while Bill will go down
the left road .:he same distance. I don't
want you to look at the sign until you get
to the places I have indicated. Then, after
you have written down what the sign tells
you, come back here and report."
The sons did as they were told. When
they returned the father asked Sam what
the sign had told him. "The sign," answered Sam. looking at his paper, "reads:
'Ivory Soap.' "
"You're a liar," shouted Bill, " it reads, 'It
floats,' and I can prove it."
"You're both liars, and your eyes are on
J
Ford Hall is one of those magic devices
whereby the sons of Jake Brown are enabled to. see more than one thing in the eco~
nomic and religious world. In Ford Hall
men and wom,~n are taught to treat with
tolerance the ,iews of all neighbors, just ,a s
Jake Brown taught his sons that three men
may see three different advertisements on
· the one sign.
Sunday, Nov. 9, at 3.30 P. M., Dr. Edward
Breck on "The Wild .Pets of the North
Woods."
Sunday Commor.s: Sunday, November
9th, at 3.30 P. M., Huntington Hall.
School Voters' League: -Ford Hall, Saturday, November .8th, at 10.45 A. M., Frank A.
Parsons on "Ethics and Aesthetics of
Dress." 50 cents.
School of Social ·S cience: Monday, November 3rd, at 8 P, ~~I., "What Shall We Do with
the N. Y., N. H. & H. ?" by James M. Swift
(Rep.), Hustis LP-wton (Prog.), John McCarty
(Soc.), Roger Sherman Howar
(Dem.), and George Rower, Jr. (Soc.). 10
cents.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH.
THE FAMILY OF THE FUTURE.
By Carrie G. Barr.
(Continued from Page 1.)
Among the many beneficent influences o! vorces in the United States. These diFord Hall meetings is the democratic at- vorcees are to some extent socially ostramosphere of the place, and this pleasing im- cized, as having broken sex relations to life.
pression is very noticeable at once upon en- So it is not a problem as to. startin!; sometering the hall.
thing, but as to comp'.eting it.
We have
During the meetings which· I have at- . in this country 76 divorces to .each hundred
tended I have had the chance to become well thousand people; in England. they have
acquainted with many persons that I could two. But in England divorce is· a difficult
not ·have met · so often anywhere else, and luxury; they have just as many separations
this opportunity has given me a clearer in- as we. Divorce is greatest in a new -counsight into the human· conditions of life try-in the State of Washington, not in
which has been a great education to me- Nevada or South Dakota.
education which is not to be · found in acaDivorce does not spring · from suddemic instruction or in - ook lore.
b
den impulse-46 per cent. of the divorces
Among the cosmopolitan audience, there in the United States are applied for three
are many clear-thinking people· who have years after separation. Less than one-half
strong and original ideas; many people the divorced persons remarry -within a
come to these meetings who, are gifted in year. 'Divorce is tragic for the children,
many ways; often there are those who· are but it is worse for children to be brought
repressed, with no outlet to their beliefs up in the presence o{ a man and woman
and· ideals·, and in these meetings they re- who do not love each other. (Applause.)
ceive an inspiration which uplifts them and - Sometimes divorce is desired by only one
helps them to make life better for them.
party. That is one of the tragedies of the
soul that have always gathered around that
force of sex. But surely if a woman loves
ADVERTISING IN FORD HALL
a man who does not love her, or vice versa,
FOLKS.
The Ford Hall .Folks Magazine is• to de- the wisest thing to do is not to marry if
vote a part of it~.. ace to advertising. This they are not married, and to stop being
~
innovation is simply a means to help meet married if they are .
There is one safeguard to both marriage
the necessary current expenses of the publication. The many improvements innovated and divorce. I should like to see marriage
made vastly ruore difficult than it isand contemplated have increased the cost to
placed upon a eugenic base. I should like
publish the magazine.
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education which is not to be found in acaOne day Jake called the boys to him and
demic instruction or in book lore.
said : "I have placed a new sign on the front
Among the cosmopolitan audience, there
of this store. I want you to look at it and are many clear-thinking people ~ o have
tell me what you think of it. Jim, I want strong and original ideas; many people
you to • go across the road and look at it come to these meetings who are gifted in
from that point. You, Sam, go down to the many ways; often there are .those who· are
right about fifty yards and tell me how it
repressed, with no outlet to their beliefs
looks from there, while Bill will go down
and ideals, and in these meetings they rethe left road the same distance. I don't ceive an inspiration which uplifts them and
want you to look at the sign until you get
to the places I have indicated. Then, after ·h elps them to make life better for them.
you have written down what the sign tells
ADVERTISING IN FORD HALL
you, come back here and report."
The sons did as they were told. When
FOLKS.
they returned the father asked Sam what
The Ford Hall Folks Magazine is to dethe sign had told him. "The sign," an- vote a part of i-ts space to advertising, This
swered Sam, looking at his paper, ." reads:
i: movation is simply a means to help meet
1
'Ivory Soap.'"
·
the necessary current expenses of the publi"You're a liar," shouted Bill, "it reads, 'It cation. The many improvements innovated
floats,' and I can prove it."
and contemplated have increased the cost to
"You're both liars, and your eyes are on publish the magazine.
the blink,'' shouted Jim at the top of his
One-half a page--consisting of 15 spacesvoice, "tlie sign says, 'J. Brown & Sons,' and 1 inch in height and 2½ inches in width, is
if you'll step out in the back yard I'll lick the maximum space which will be given
both of you to prove it."
over to advertising at any one time. ·
"No, you won't prove it ·by fighting in the
One dollar an inch is the price.
back yard,'' the father said quietly. "We
For information regarding advertising
will, however, step into the street and we
space apply to JACOB LONDON, Ford
will prove that Jim is right."
Building, Boston, Mass.
-So they_ walked across the street and
looked at the sign. -Sure enough, "J. Browr.
THE QUESTIONNAIRE.
& Sons" stared them in the face.
"Come," invited the father, "we'll go down
(Continued from Page 2.)
to the right :i.nd see · what we shall see."
A: Will not a man who loves a woman ·
What they saw was what Sam told then:
be willing to let her have all the property?
they would see.
Q (Mr. Ewing): Isn't it true that a
And when they went down the left roac
they found that the sign really did offer great deal of unhappiness in married life is
due to uncongeniality because one grows
them the words "It floats."
"Now," said the father, as they walked mentally more than the other ?
A: That is why I want equal opportuback to the store, "I've got the drop on you
fellows at last. You needed this lesson. nity for the 'lvoman. -She has got to keep
up the · ace with the man. You are quite
p
Come, let us look at the sign."
They looked at the sign and found that it right.
was ·o ne of those patented specialties which
are ~o constru(:ted that they contain three
OTHER MEETINGS
signs in one, and that it did contain all that
the three sons said they .found on it.
" This simple iittle lesson" the father conLowell Institute : .Huntington Hall, Montinued, "ought 1.o teach yo~ that three men day and ,.Thursday, November 3rd and 6th,
can look at the same thing and yet see · at 8 _f- M".,~Prof. Kirsopp Lake on "Primitive
.:
three things. It all ,depends upon the view- Ch:r:istianity:". Wednesday, November 5th,
point. What is true of ·· this sign is true --at· 5 P . M., Prof. G. H . Palmer on " George
of nearly everything in the world. Learn ·.- :Herbert." _·_,
·
to look through the :other fellow 's eyes anc .: Boston Public L ibrary : Tuesday, Nov. 4,
you'll find mighty little in · this world that -, ,_ t'.··8 .:P,?'~'L; ·:"D. 0. S. 1..owell on "The Ele·
a
will cause yo u to waste your time in quar• '·merits_ of Esperanto" ; Thursday, Nov. 6, at
·
TP.ling.''.
S-· P. M., Hor3. c:e P. Salmon on "Rhod esia"';
l
[I
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t·
L.
f'..--
i~evaua or :::;outn lJalrnta.
Divorce does not spring from sudden impulse-46 per cent. of the divorces
in the United States are applied for three
years after separation. Less than one-half
the divorced persons remarry -within a
year. -Divorce is tragic for the children,
but it is worse for children to be brought
up in the riresence of a man and woman
who do not love each other. (Applause.)
Sometimes divorce is desired by only one
party. That is one of the tragedies of the
soul that have always gathered around that
force of sex. But surely if a woman loves
a. man who does not love her, or vice versa,
the wisest thing to do is not to marry if
they are not married, ~nd to stop being
married if they are.
There is one safeguard to both marriage
and divorce. I should like to see marriage
made vastly more difficult than it isplaced upon a eugenic base. I should like
to see a law causing all men and women
to present certificates stating that they are
not in possession of communicable disease. I sl)..:mld like to see all marriages
made a matter of advertisement for six
months in the public records. I say six
months, because that would give relatives
and friends time to look up records; w_ uld
o
allow transient passions to cool, and would
sometimes provide · other aid which would
prevent marriages for financial reasons.
First, make marriage more scientific.
Then put the woman on a basis of absolut e
equality with the man, with the same freedom and the same responsibilities, the
same opportunity to be of individual significance in herself; for you must go afield to
bring something back- to your mate, not
simply stand still to be loved. Finally, when
the marriage fails, put it aside. The man
and woman who have failed here will inevitably be discredited, just as if they bad
failed in a business relationship, if the
whole thing has full publicity. And then,
when these things are true, we will be able .
to clean up the mass of people who live today under the shelter of pity._ Prostitution
flourishes in c ur midst because we are sorry
for people unhappily married· and say nothing about their rr:isdemeanors. Let us get
rid of all this subterfuge and put the whole
thing on a frank basis of candor. We will
never do that :mtil we realize that the fundamental relationship underlying marriage
is love, and :ove, and love, and that no fam- ·
ily can persist unle-ss it rests on a founda- ·
tion of indi;;soluble love.
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VOLUME
• S. W1sE of
)ject this time
l'' Dr. Wise
the country to
: has long been
1g the Jewish
critic of men
he has just rethe Old World,
►f Palestine and
;ainst their own
d-letter night at
:acfarlane's topic
ck." and he him-
NUMBER
2
NOVEMBER 2, 1913
By EARL BARNES*
ELLOW STUDENTS: The subject
with which we are -deal!ng tonight
is probably the most difficult !hat
could be brought before a m~ed
audience, I suppose the very ~ormulatmg ·
-of the question would gravely disturb most
of 't he conservative people who are not
here.
(Laughter.) Even we
who are. here
must all of us
feel a real anxiety concerning
the good judgment and taste
and
reticence
with which this
subject should ·
he
presented.
Certainly
the
speaker
feels
the need of
your sympathy
an d
forbearance, for this
Earl Barnes.
is ·one of t~e
most
crucial
and most important of questions. Many
imagine that in such a discussion we may be
inclined to abolish the family. Every movement is supposed to threaten the destruction
of the family-socialism, syndicalism, woman suffrage. But institutions are practically
never accidents. When you~get large numbers of people organized in some form of
effective self-expression, through a · long
period of time, that institution was not
formed for the sake of making• the motions to form it. ·. There is something behind it. Ford Hall, for instance, succeeds
where others fail because of an elemental
need, a fundamental hunger, for knowledge
and worship. All institutions go back to
F
ea.ch other. 1Vhen two- co-operate in the
deep intimacies of personal life, then only
we have a real fulfilment of life. Individual romantic love could not be destroyed by
changing the. sex ideas of everybody in the
United States. Bishop Vincent, founder of
the Chautauqua, sa:d, speaking of his wife
and of the women in any man's life, "They
make us or they unmake us." For a child
that I loved I would wish just this: a happy
~nd continuous marriage.
There are three very serious defects in
the institution., we call marriage. 1. It
lacks a sound foundation in the scientific
truth of the modern world. Like all other
institutions it tends to blend in with related institutions:-relation with the church
makes it a SP.crament, with the state a contract, with professional advancement a
financial arrangeme:nt. But it is without
relation to the scientific beliefs of well-being; it has no eugenic conscience. Individuals have ihis, 1.Jut not the family. In 200
years people will refuse i:o believe that the
state sanctioned and the church solemnized
marriages that meant almost certainly imbecile or . otherwise defective children. We
must change this whole conception. The
marriage of a broken-down ·old blackguard
and a y:oung, her,lthy girl is an infamy.
(Applause.)
T;HE LITTLE GIRL AND THE
PUSSY CAT
By Burgess Johnston
Instead of a prayer, Mr. Coleman
read the following poem, because it
breathes ZortiJ. the real spirit of the
Ford Hall Meetings:
Said a little girl to a pussy-cat:
"It's jolly to make you play!
.. .
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F WF L/
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PRICE FIVE CENTS
THE FAMILY ' OF· THE FUTURE
:
l\
K MACFARLANE,
II
-
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A MAGAZINE OF NEIGHBORLINESS
I
, so fortunate as
)f Mr. Coleman
:ch appeared in
looking forward
aker for the last
.-.
.
-
jfor~ JHall jfolks
. '1"·
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2. The family as it exists today secures
the subordination of woman · to the family
group in a way that is absolutely unjust.
· (Applause.)
I marvel that women will
marry, unless they are so much in love that
they think the n;.an is different from all
others. Think of the difference between the
life of a married woman, tied to the home
and the children, and of a married man,
out in the world. The woman is at a tre·mendous handicap of narrowing circumstances.
In this partnership, as in all
others, property ii; important; it is the body
in which the soul must live. Shaw says:
"The greatest of all crimes is poverty."
The married woman has no body for her
soul-no goods-no money. The partnership to begin v:ith is one of full participation, but she gets nothing out of it. She
may eat more, have more dothes; than the
man, but she j., pr.or v.rhile she has no property of her own. She has no vital relation
to the powe:- tha:: iies in money. Go into
almost any farrr,er's or artisan's family and
you will find today pure and simple feudalism of the vintage of 1750. (Mr. Barnes
illustrated this poinL by the story of his own
grandmother, who put $700 into the parnership when she married, but in the end
got only a third life interest in his estate.)
I know two men who make soap. One stays
at the factory; one goes out, but they share
equally in the profits. We have got to
change the family on this fundamental base
of' the relation of the man and woman to
it. It is going to be very hard to change-it is almost impossible for a woman to feel
that her husband's property is her own,
even when ti.lat arrangement is made, and
it is even h"rcler for a man to make the
arrangement. We should provlde legally
that money possessed at the time of marriage, or -gained later by inheritance,
should remain individual. A woman should
not take any of the man's money at mar-
1
Lld.Cl-,
be
presented.
Certainly
the
speaker
feels
the need of
your sympathy
an d
forbearance, for this
Earl Barnes.
is 'one of the
rn o s t
crucial
and inost important of questions. Many
imagine that in such a discussion we may be
inclined to abolish the family. Every movement is supposed to threaten the destruction
of the family-socialism, syndicalism, woman suffrage. But institutions are practically
never accidents. When you get large numbers of people organized in some form of
€fl'ective self-expression, through a long
_period of time, that institution was not
formed for the sake of making• the motions to form it. · There is sometliing ·bellind it. Ford Hall, for instance., succeeds
where others fail because of an elemental
need, a fundamental hunger, for knowledge
and worship. All institutions go back to
some such hunger. This is the bed-rock on
which the family is based.
We are edu~ahle at all only by reason of
' certain hung~rs, desires, driving impulses
in our lives. The person who is tremendously hungry on all sides of his nature you
can teach anything. The person who is not
'hungry at all is a fool. Idiots have no hun~
ger except for food; a man like Leonardo
·da Vinci is hungry for so many things that
this hunger drives him to greatness. Hungers must find their fulfilment through
group. activities. - The most powerful of
these hungers is that of sex, which starts
· early in life, and after puberty is the dominant force. It transforms the physical appearance; it develops physical and mental
secondary i::ex · attributes. Our art and lit€rature today are impregnated with sex
feeling. n · is -vastly more than a biological
instinct. Tu describe a highly perfect man
today, one would have · to use many words
descriptive of sex characteristics. We are
not going Lo desfroy all this by tinkering
with the family. The kind of family I am
discussing is that of a man and woman who
love each other nnd the children born of
that love. The unit must be, not a man or
a womari, but a man and woman who love
*The speech and the question s nnd
.,~ reported by Mirinm Allen d e Ford.
V-.J.1.,.u.
1.;_...,.._..,..., _____ _
financial arrangemE:nt. But it. is without
relation to the scientific beliefs of well-being; it has no eugenic conscience. Individuals have ihis, but not the family . In 200
years people will refuse to believe that the
state sanctioned and the church solemnized
marriages that meant almost certainly imbecile or . otherwise defective children. We
must change this whole conception. The
marriage of a broken-down old blackguard
and a young, he<hy -girl is an in!amy.
(Applause.)
may eat more, have more clotnes, tnan Lue
man, but she i.;; pc:nr v, hile she has no property of her own. She has no vital relation
to the powe:- tha: iies in money. Go into
almost any fa.nr,er's or artisan's family and
you will find today pure and •
simple feudalism of the vintage of 1750. (Mr. Barnes
illustrated this poinL by the story of his own
grandmothe:-, who put $700 into the parnership when she married, but in the end
got only a third life interest in his estate.)
I know two men who make soap. One stays
at the factory; one goes out, but they share
equally in the profits. We have got to
change the family on this fundamental base
THE LITTLE GIRL AND THE
of · the relation of the. man and . woman to
PUSSY CAT
it. It is going to be very hard to changeit is almost impossible for a woman to feel
By Burgess Johnston
that her husband's property is her own·,
Instead of a prayer, Mr. Coleman
even when ti.lat arrangement is made, and
read foe following poem, because it
it is even hRrcler for a man to make the
arrangement. We should provi.de legally
breathes forth the real spirit of the
that money possessed at the time of marFord Hall Meetings:
riage, or ·gained later by inheritance,
Said :i. llttle girl to a pussy-cat:
should remain individual. A woman should
"It's jolly to make you play!
not take any of the man'$ money at marHow so- t you purr when I stroke your
f
riage, either; tile present arrangement cretur,
ates a bribe to legalized prostitution. But
And your claws are all tucked
all money earned by the husband and wife
away!
from the time of their marriage should be
I love you ever so much for that,"
common money, split in two in the middle.
Said a little girl to a pussy-cat.
That is the law in Idaho, and will be the
"But oh, there's a terrible thing I've
law all over the country when we have womhea.r.d, an suffrage. I don't want women to have
That brings great sorrow to me:
money to spend or to keep-they have that
You killed a poor little baby bird
now-but to own, to have a body in which
That lived in our apple-tree.
to work out their own souls.
·
You can't oe dear to me after that,"
3. In 200 years, again, who will believe
_ aid '} little girl to a pussy-cat.
S
that men and women once had to live together when they did not love each other?
" O, little maid," said the pussy-cat,
Love is the only justification for marriage.
"You are gentle and kind, they say,
If people live together without love, what
To bird and beast, but didn't YOU
have we but prostitution of the body? An
feast
Englishman can procure an injunction for
On chi-:ken for lunch today?
the restoration of marital rights-and that
And aren't there feathers upon your
is legalized rape. Such a situation ·is
hat,
wrong, it is wicked; and some day we shall
0, little n aid?" said the pussy-cat.
- straighten it ,mt. You will say: "Do you
"Oh, I'll :Je I, and you·ll be you,
mean to stand for free divorce?
It
As long as this world shall be.
is the destruction of the family." You
If you'll be as good as you can d or
cannot destroy the family.
All you
you,
. .-:.- .
can destroy is some of the broken
I'll try to be good for me. . • .. . . _ limbs on · 1.he tree.
In the meantime
So let's be friends, and agre_~- fo::thal:(: · ,. -we· are afraid of divorce. In the past 20
O, little maid!" said t:he pussy-cat.~·· .... > years there l1ave been over a million di'
. _
·
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THE -QUESTIONNAIRE
r: _..
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,.,
Q: Aren't the ministers of the gospel
responsible for marrying people without
finding out whether they are fit to be
united?
A: Those connected with an institution
must play the game in accordance with its
rules. You cannot expect a minister to
break away from his institution and go out
as an individ1ral.
Q: Do you believe in the celibacy of the
cler"gy?
A: Celibacy was once believed to be a
virtue. A perfectly fair-minded man would
say that celibacy in a well-organized,
healthy man or woman, barring deep emotional catastrophe behind him, is a crime.
(Applause.)
Q: Is not this question of eugenics
really a question of the conservation of the
race?
A: Yes; thank you for putting it that
way.
Q: What is going to be the effect on the ·
family of the future if the woman takes an
economically independent stand and earns
money?
·
A: I should have removed the possibility of that question. I don't want her to
do that except as she is doing it now. I
want her to be paid for what she is doing.
Q: By changing present economic conditions would you not bring about more
successful marriage?
·
A: Not witho,1t _changing men's ideals
also. Of course, economic conditions today
· place a large premium on late marriage,
for people are unwilling to start where
their parents did.
Q: What is your opinion of "Damaged
Goods?"
A: It rais-=s the question of teaching
sex morality through pathology. In general, teaching by false syntax is bad. Personally, I deprecate pathological teaching.
Q: Is not much marital infelicity due to
the transference of love from a Platonic to
a physical pl?.ne?
A: So far as I know, love in its highest
manifestation between men and women is
most secure when it has a deep and strong
,.,,....;n,-:.1
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FORD HALL FOLKS
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state opportunity for and compulsion of
cure.
Q: Would not the introduction of sex
·hygiene in public schools bring about good
results?
A: Sex hygiene is now being introduced
in every sort of educational institution.
Personally, I think that in a time when the
public mind is greatly disturbed, if you do
exactly right ~,ou'll do a lot of wrong. The
responsibility should lie with the parents;
but you can educate parents only by educating the new generation. It is a diflic"ult
problem.
Q: In case of divorce, which parent
_
should have the child?
A: That is a matter for individual judgment, but the other parent s· ould have full
h
opportunity to see it frequently.
Q: What are- the cause and remedy of
prostitution?
A: We will not know until after the
Rockefeller Institute has completed its investigations. I should like to ask: Why do
men patronize prostitutes?
(Applause.)
Q: Should a man remarry when his
wife dies, after having ·b orne him children?
A: In spite of the indissoluble power of
love, this depends entirely upon the subjective state of the man after his wife's
dE.'ath.
Q: Must there not be a change in the
public conscience with reference to the relations of the sexes before these evils can
be overcome in the- individuals?
A: In other words, must we not eliminate the do~tble standard? Today we must
have absolute equality; some day we shall
understand and adjust better masculine and
feminine characteristics.
·
Q: How can people be healthy today
when the food is not pure?' (Applause.)
A: That is not my problem.
Q: How do you reconcile the problems
of eugenics with the all-important relation
of love?
A: Perfectly. All we are proposing to
do is to cut out the unfit marriages. The
work is negative. Then we will allow free
play to romantic love among the fit.
I do not kno.w why those who do not assume ,the responsibilities of parenthood
should not bear an extra burden.
Q: Is knowledge of sex moral power?
A: Is knowledg!') of any particular thing
backing for moral conduct in that thing?
A wide knowledge of the fundamental facts
of sexual hygiene and expression would lift
group conduct everywhere.
Q: If men and women love each other
for their good qualities before marriage.
and. after marriage find those qualities different, who is to blame?
A: Why should anybody ask that we
should always reach tire right conclusion?
They are both to blame.
Q: Is not Alfred Russell Wallace, in
"Social Environment and Moral Progress,"
right in opposing "eugenics ·because the female today concentrates ·on property instead of on the qualities of her mate?
A: Of course. (Applause.)
The thing
will only be corrected when the general
public recosnizes that as prostitution.
Q: What does love constitute? (Laughs
ter.)
A: The questioner is even younger than
he looks. .All I can say is that nobody on
earth can explain, but that you will find
out. (Laughter and applause.)
Q: Is Platonic friendship possible between young rnen and women?
A: It is an extremely dangerous experiment. (Applause.)
..
Q: What do you think of intermarriage
between pe•)ple of different races?
A: It is one of the most important scientific •problems now before thoughtful men
and women, and we have no definite knowiedge bearing upon it.
Q: What do you think of trial marriages
with a three-year limit?
A: I ha-Ve offered something vastly better
than
that-a
marriage
carefully
guarded, _ be c.::rried on as long as it is a.
to
real marriage.
Q (Mr. Sagerman): How is love possible with poverty?
A: There is demonstration of the fact
everywhere. Love does not depend upon
a purse.
Q: What do you think· of legislation
with reference to vasectomy?
A: In some cases restricted sterilization
is desirable.
Q : Is not the displacing of men by machinerv a ,cnrn,<' nf nrnstitntinn?
.j
\.
Miss FollettJ
workers of the
last Sunday ni
thing Ford Hal
l
On the ubtfc
Secretary Dilloi
chester, N. H.,
are greatly inti
establish in th
ours. They cai
out just how W:
will be others f:
same errand, ir
is to serve as t'
1
1
1 .
It was a. we
night to note t:
· which men a;1d
other, discussed
family life.
'1
sounded throng!
very rare priviL
in earnest to m:
1
There were fc
the Ford Hall :E
in spite of the j'
time was given
bi!ity of inaugllj
classes for those
day evenings. j
this sort. espedl
our constituend
vice. Ylessrs. F]
kind bore the hr
Messrs. Su!li,·:1rJ
appointed a cotj
forward and rel
the Folks.
I
Those of YOlli
one of these se
the Ford Hall Fl
are missin;.\'. W
Hall, Ford Bui!<i
f- hn
,......,..,.. _ : ~ - ·
,
tional catastrophe behind him, is a cnme. SllUUJU lid.Vt: l.UC 1.., uuu.
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._. - - A: That is a matter for individual judg- public recog-nizes that as prostitution.
( Applause.)
ment, but the other parent should have full
Q: Is not this question of eugenics
Q : What does love constitute? (Laughreally a question of the conservation of the opportunity to see it frequently.
ter.)
Q: What are the cause and remedy of 4. A: The questioner is even younger than
·race?
'.A.: Yes; thank you for putting it that . prostitution?
he looks. All I can say is that nobody on
A: We will not know until after the earth can explain, but that you will find
way.
Rockefeller Institute has completed its in- out. (Laughter and applause.)
Q: What is going to be the effect on the
family of the future if the woman takes an vestigations. I should like to ask: Why do
Q: Is Platonic friendship possible beec"momlcally independent stand and earns men patronize prostitutes? (Applause.)
tween yo ung men and women?Q: Should a man remarry when his
money?
·
A: It is an extremely dangerous experiA : I should have removed the possibil- wife dies-, after having borne him children? ment. (Applause.)
A: In spite of the indissoluble power of
ity of that question. I don't want her to
Q: What do you think of intermarriage
love, this depends entirely upon ,t he sub- between people of different races?
do that except as she is doing it now. I
want her to be pa.id for what she is doing. jective state of the man after his wife's
A : It is one of the most important scidEath.
Q: By changing present economic conentific problems now before thoughtful men
Q: Must there not be a change in the
. ditions would you not bring about more
and -women, and we have no definite knowipublic conscience with reference to the re- edge bearing upon it.
successful marriage?
A: Not without changing men's ideals lations of the sexes before these evils can
Q: What do you think of trial marriages
also. Of course, economic conditions today be overcome in the individuals?
with a three-year limit?
A: In other words, mU:st we not elimplace a large premium on late marriage,
A: I have offered something vastly betfor · people are unwilling to start where inate the do'!Ible .standard? Today we must ter
than
that-a
marriage
carefully
have absolute equality; some day we shall guarded, to be carried on as long as it is a
their parents did.
.
understand and adjust better masculine and real marriage.
Q: What is your opinion of "Damaged
feminine characteristics.
Goods?"
Q (Mr. Sagerman): How is love possiQ: How ·c an people be healthy today
A: It raises the question of teaching
ble with poverty?
sex morality through pathology. In gen- when .the food is not pure? (Applause.)
A : There is demonstration of the fact
A: That is not my probJ('m.
eral, teaching by false syntax is bad. Pereverywhere. Love does not depend upon
sonally, I deprecate pathological teaching.
Q : Fi:ow do you reconcile the problems
a purse.
Q: Is not much marital infelicity due to
of eugenics with' the all-important relation
Q: What do you think of legislation
the transference of love from a Platonic to of love?
with reference to vasectomy?
a physical pl?.ne?
·
A: Perfectly. All we are proposing to
A: In some cases restricted sterilization
A: ·So far as I know, love in its highest do is to cut out the unfit .marriages. The is desirable.
manifestation between men an·d women is work is negative. Then we will allow free
Q: Is not the displacing of men by mamost secure when it has a deep and strong play to romantic love among the fit.
chinery a cause of prostitution?
animal • basis. But it must rise above. that
Q: Would not compulsory state cure of
A : It is true it has made marriage late
basis. (Applause.)
disease encourage immorality?
by driving women into public life.
A: What we have got to do is to segre· Q (Mr. Victorson): Can we eliminate
Q: Whe11 a woman's economic position
an · age-old evil by a quarter century of leg- gate syphilis as if it were smallpox.
is such that she accepts the first proposal
Q: Does the love which precedes marislation? Must it not be eliminated just as ·
for a home, how can you give her suggesriage follow marriage, or aren't the children tions about eugenics, and · waiting six
slowly as it was implanted?
A : I am not very ardent after legisla- the cause of the bond that exists between months to make up her mind?
A: That is another difficulty. It does
tion. We are laying a foundation in public married people?
A: You can't have married happiness not strike dire::tly at the problem.
opinion which may in time express itself in
based on nothing but duty . to the children.
Q: Do not economic conditions make
legislation with benefit. But it does not
require as much time to -destroy as to
Q: Is it not necessary for the soul and · ideals, rather than vice versa? vVas it not
build up;- See the quickness of the change body of the individual to be in perfect har- economic conditions that made possible the
• former making of marriages for children by
from monarchy to democracy.
mony before marriage?
Q (Miss Rogolsky): In calling poverty
A : The period of courtship determines parents?
A: Economic conditions cause all the
a crime. would . you take into consideration very largely the spiritual qualities of the
miseries of life. But man's volition can
the fact' that many great men were poor and new generation.
·
do something even then.
many rich ones worth nothing?
Q : If the man and woman share the inQ: Is it not against human nature for
A: It is an American belief that pov- come, how will you allot the expenses of the
one man to love one woman all his life, and
erty is the recipe for greatness. In fact home and the upbringing of the children?
greatness in poverty means only an unA: Manage it just like any business. vice versa? (Laughter.)
A: I believe that monogamy with the
usual escape from .a harmful background . Pay the running expenses of the business
Great men are not produced from nothing- first and share the rest between the part- freedom I am advocating would ·be more the
rule than it is now. There is a bond be. ness.
ners. (Applanse.)
Q: Do · you believe in trial marriage? If
Q: How about the large number forbid- tween married people which grows with
not, what remedy is there?
den to marry who yet have sexual instincts? their living together.
Q: Isn't modern science responsible for
A: No; I want to make marriage more Are they not dangerous to society?
difficult, not easier. My remedy is all I
A: It .is a difficulty ; that is all I can the great number of degenerates who fill
have said tonight. (Applause.)
say. Th~y are still more dangerous perpet- our institutions?
A: I don't see any connection.
Q: How would you relieve those who ·uating their kind .
Q: If there is love between man and
· are unfit for marriage by disease, but who
Q (Mr. Brown): How about a tax on
could be made well if they had sufficient old bachelors ".:i:J.d old maids? (Laughter.) • woman, won't the property issue sink into
financial means for treatment?
A: Seriously, the man or woman who the background, and the woman think it
A: One of the principles of eugenics is rears young children ·in a community not necessary that she have property?
(Continued on Page 4.)
insistence on the wiping out of disease, by should have certain advantages given him.
~
-·-
same errand, includir
is to serve as the ch~
*
It was a wonderf'
night to note the pe1
which men a::id worn
other, discussed the
family life. There
sounded throu3hout.
very rare privilege, a
in earnest to make th
*
There were forty-fr
the Ford Hall Folks
in spite of the nasty
time was given to a ,
bility of inau;;urating
classes for those who
day evenings. It is 1:
this sort, espedally a
our constituency, wo1
vice. Messrs. Foster,
kind bore the hrunt o
Messrs. Sulli,:111 and
appointed a committ(
forward and report ~
the Folks.
"'
Those -of yo u whc
one of these semi-oc
the Ford H'ill Follrn !
are missing. vV ~ mE
Hall, Ford Building,
the considerati on o:
means for advancing
Then we take suppei
twenty-five cents eac
·half hour. ·Our 11ex1
for Sunday, :Nov. 23
terested in the Ford
come. Just s,c,nd wo1
Ford Hall that _you
proper provision <. an
·
"'
Have you noticed 1
questions asked? T
stereotyped sort; ra1
jest and pertinency.
ual resource of no m
The courage and
consciousness so nu
who does his share
of an impediment in
most of us is very st:
all face our difficult
does, if we could ;
completely as he doe.
ress we might m,;.ke.
Our sunny Italian
has an awful stru1
when he attemots t
but he generally ma:
he is driving at. I
·when he pointed 01
that if some of us WE
would loo~ as foolis
he seemed to appear
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FORD HALL FOLKS
who do not asof parenthood.
burden.
moral power?
· particular thing
t in that thing?
·undamental facts
·ession would lift
love each other
before marriage,
.ose qualities dif:iy ask that we
right conclusion?
sell Wallace, in
Moral Progress,"
; because the feon property in. her mate?
1se.) The thing
hen the general
orostitution.
istitute? (Laugh'en younger than
; that nobody on
at you will find
use.)
hip possible be1en?
iangerous experiof intermarriage
races?
st important sci~ thoughtful men
.o definite knowi,f trial marriages
thing vastly betTiage
carefull y
,s long as it is a
w is love possition of the fact
.ot depend upon
k of legislation
1y?
cted sterilization
; of men by ma:ution?
de marriage late
blic life .
conomic position
he first proposal
give her su_ _ esgg
AS IT LOOKS-TO ME
By GEORGE W. COLEMAN
Director of the Ford Hall Meetings
Miss Follett, one of the leading social
workers of the city, thought the meeting
last Sunday night was · about the biggest
thing Ford Hall has yet done.
*
*
*
On the platform last' Sunday night were
Secretary Dillon of the Y. M. C. A. of Manchester, N. H., and two fellow-citizens, who
are greatly interested in the movement to
establish in thei,• own city a forum like
ours. They came down especially to find
out just how we do it. Next Sunday there
will be others from Manchester, bent on the
same errand, inclu.ding the gentleman who
is to serve .as the chairman of their forum.
*
* *
It was a. wonderful thing last Sunday
night to note the perfectly natural way in
which men U!ld women, strangers to each
other, discm;sed the intimate relations of
family life. · There wasn't a false note
sounded throughout. it was an evening of
very rare privilege, and everyone was dead
in earnest to make the most of it.
* * *
There were forty-five at the gat:hering of
the Ford Hall Folks last Sunday afternoon,
in spite of the nasty weather. Most of the
time was given to a discussion of the possibility of inaugurating mid-week educational
classes for those who attend Ford Hall Sunday evenings. It is believed that a wo rk of
this sort, espe,~ia.lly adapted to the needs of
our constituen cy, would render a great service. Messrs. Foster, Goldberg and Schnittkind bore the hrunt of the discussion. With
Messrs. Sum-.,-:iu and Miss Smith, they were
appointed a committee to carry the matter
forward and report at the next meeting of
the Folks.
"'
*
*
Those of you who have never attended
one of these semi-occasional gatherings of
the Ford Hall Fol:rn do not realize what you
are missin~. WC! meet at 3.30 in Kingsley
Hall, Ford Building, and spend the time in
the consideration of · practical ways and.
means for advancing our whole enterprise.
Then we take SU[lper together at a cost of
twenty-five cents each, and have a social
·half hour. ·Our next meeting is scheduled
fnr
~nnr1.,,.
, .. ......
..,.,,
About four hundred copies of the magazine were sold in the hall last Sunday night,
-the best yet, Mr. London says, but we need
to make it five hundred. We have over
sixty names on the regular subscription list,
but we ought to have two hundred.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Mr. earthy, t he rugged-looking gentleman
with the white flowing beard, is as full of
sunshine as ever this season, but happily
the thunders ,,f applause do not delay his
questioning as they did last season.
Already there are twenty enrolled in the
chorus, and they had their first rehearsal
last Sunday :ctt half-past six. Mr. Gutterson
is a past master at this sort of work; it is
worth something to sit un-der his instruction, not to mention being sure of a good
seat every Sunday night in Ford Hall.
"What does love constitute?" asked the
young questioner. A very dear woman said
to me, as we left the hall together, "The
very word 'cons ti tt;te' means held together,
and love is the thing that holds together the
life of a :nan and woman." But as . the
speaker well said, the young man will be
quite likely to find out all about it very
soon.
Is modesty a vice or a virtue? Should
men wait for political office to seek them
instead of scrambling for it? Do we wait
for -a business job to discover us,. ·or do we
go out after it? Is it immodest to have your
picture appear .in the newspaper? Then
why isn't it immodest to stand up and face
a great congregation of people?
When I was young reporter I got a very
striking lesson on . the subject of modesty
which has remained with me to this day.
My chief sent me to the home of one of
Boston's greatest preachers to get an interview with him and secure a copy of his
portrait. It was at a. time of great excite•
ment over a school question, and the great
man h-ad take>11 a conspicuous part in the
public discussion of it.
He made so muc11 of a fuss over refusing
to let me have his portrait for publication
a
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could have been secured in· another way)
that my great admiration for him was
turned into disgust and I left him with a.very strong inclination to advise him when~
ever he faced his great congregation ever
afterward to preach to them with a veil over
his face and t.hus save from all harin his
tender, delicate sense of modesty.
Maybe I was wrong, but I felt intuitively
that it was mock modesty that made a public man fuss a.bout allowing his portrait to,
appear in a. !lewspaper. And I made up my
mind then and there that while I would
never seek personal publicity, neither
would I run a way from it when it · came my
way in the regular course of the work in.
which I was engaged.
A man or a woman who is doing things
that concern or interest the public has no
good reason for retusing to meet them face
to face in the public print. Modesty con••
sists not alone in declining to c:all attention
to one's self, but also in not refusing a just
and reasonable demand on the pare of the
public for a ,:loser acquaintance.
Real modP.sty consists in being uncon•
scions of one's self. In that state of mind,
with your · vision fixed on some object above
yourself, you can modestly do or leave undone a great many things which might very
properly be characterized as grossly immodest with a different thought behind
them.
In our questionnaire at Ford Hall Sunday
evenings we do not allow questions to be·
sent to the p latform in written form, and
one very important reason for that is that
the man or woman's personality expressed
by their presence·· adds so very much to the
significance ,Jf the question. In a similar
way a pri"nted portrait helps you to under•
stand a little better the individual about
whom you are reading. Isn't it natural for
a man's face to go wherever he goes, and so
if he himself r;ets ir:to the newspapers, why
shouldn't his face keep him company?
C. Herbert Smith, of Bangor, Maine,
writes:
"Several years ago I was a regular at•
tendant of your Sunday night · meetings.
They were the one thing I missed most
when I -left Boston. They did much -to
change my trend of thought. It developed
in me a strong desire to understand other
people and their problems, and I know I
take a more sympathetic interest in every•
thing and everybody than I otherwise
would have.
"I happened to be in Boston last Sunday
night a:nd heard John Graham Brooks, and
enjoyed him immensely. Since I cannot attoT"lr1
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time was given to a discussion of the possibility of inaugurating mid-week educational
cl~ses for those who attend Ford Hall Sunday evenings. It is believed that a work of
this sort. espedally adapted to the needs of
our constituency, would render a great service. Messrs. Foster, Goldberg and Schnittkind bore the hrunt of the discussion. With
Messrs. Sulliv:111 and Miss Smith, they were
appointed a committee to carry the matter
forward and report at the next meeting of
the Folks.
.
k~owirnages
~ y betlrefully
it is a
I
t possi~e fact
i upon
"'
slation
*
*
Those -of you who have never attended
one of these semi-occasional gatherings of
the Ford Hall Folks do not realize what you
are missing. vVe meet at 3.30 in Kingsley
Hall, Ford Building, and spend the time in
the consideration of practical ways and
means ·for advancing our whole enterprise.
Then we take supper together at a cost of
twenty-five cents each, and have a social
·h alf hour. · ·Our next meeting is scheduled
for Sunday, :Nov. 23d. Anyone who is interested in the Ford Hall Meetings is welcome. Just st:>nd word to Miss Crawford at
Ford Hall that _you are coming so that
proper provision ean be made in advance.
t:at::
~e late
.osition
roposaI
~:gg:i~
does
f
make ·
it not
ble the
by
:,:
fen
[n
the
m can
r
µ-e
for
fe, and
.h the
~~ ~e:
· with
ble for
lho fill
'\
*
quite likely to find out all about it very
soon.
*
*
a
Ford Hall Folks
Edited by Thomas Dreier.
*
Have you noticed the improvement in the ·
questions asked? There are fewer of the
stereotyped sort; rarely do they lack both
jest and pertinency. They reveal intellectual resource of no mean order.
The courage and the . utter lack of selfconsciousness so manifest in our brother
who does his share of questioning in spite
of an impediment in speech that would cow
most of us is very ·.stimulating. If we would
· all face our difficulties as resolutely as he
does, if we could all forget ourselves as
completely as he does, how much more progress we might ma)i:e. ·
Our sunny Italian friend from Florence
has an awful struggle with the English
when he attempts to get in his questions,
but he generally makes us understand what
he is driving at. Do you recall the time
when he pointed out with great difficulty
that if some of us were in his native city we
would loo~ as foolish to his compatriots as
he seemed to appear to many of us?
*
Is modesty a vice or a virtue? Should
men wait for political 6ffice to seek them
instead of scrambling for it? Do we wait
for a business job to discover us, or -do we
go out after it? Is it immodest to have your
picture appear ln the newspaper? Then
why isn't it immodest to stand up and face
a great congregation of people?
When I was young reporter I got a very
striking lesson on the subject of modesty
which has remained with me to this day.
My chief sent me to the home of one of
Boston's greatest preachers to get an interview with him and secure a, copy of his
portrait. :rt was at a time of great excitement over a school question, and the great
man had take,1 a conspicuous part in the
public discussion of it.
He made so much of a fuss over refusing
to let me have his portrait for publication
(a copy of which, without much difficulty,
UBLISHED weekly by the Ford
Hall Associates, whose work
is to create, assemble, and
'listribute ideas that will help
men and institutions grow more
helpful in serving society, · and which
will promote "peace on earth, good
will toward men." It is the official
publication of the Ford Hall Meetings, ·,vhich are held; under the direction of George W. Coleman, every
Sunday c;Yening during the months of
October to May, in Ford Hall, Ashburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts.
All bufiness communications should
be sent lo Miss Mary C. Crawford,
Treasurer Ford Building, Boston; ··
.and all communications intended for
the editor to The Thomas Dreier Service, University Press, Cambridge,
Mass.
··, ·
P
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'-•'-1-'J. C~:)t::U
by their presence adds so very much to the
significance ,Jf the question. In a similar
way a printeu. portrait helps :vou to understand a little better the individual about
whom. you are reading. Isn't it natural for
a man's face to go wherever he goes, and so
if he himself r;ets into the new:;papers, why
shouldn't his face keep him company?
C. Herbert Smith, of Bangor, llfaine,
writes:
"Several years ago I . was a regular attendant of your Sunday night · meetings.
They were the one thing I missed most
when I -left Boston. They did much to
change my trend of thought. It developed
in me a strong desire to understand other
people and their problems, and I know I
take a. more sympathetic interest in everything and everybody than I otherwise
would have.
"I happened to be in Boston last Sunday
night and heard John Graham Brooks, and
enjoyed him immensely. Since I cannot attend the Ford Hall meetings, I am very
glad to subscribe for your paper."
SEARCHLIGHTS.
By George \V. Coleman.
Here is a book of human-interest essays that
breathe forth n eighborliness, good-will, and understanding of the problems of every-lay folks.
Mr. Coleman has put much of himself into these
182 pages. The edition is limited. PRICE, 75
Cents, Postpaid.
THE THOMAS DREIER SERVICE,
University Press, Cambridge, l\lass.
BRUNO MFG. CO.
Established 1892
Parfumerie
Tonics of fine
ounce, $1.00.
from a dram
Call on us.
Francaise, Powders, Creams, Halr
quality. Perfumes worth $3.00 per
Those worth $1.00, 50c. We sell
to a gallon to you ·at wholesale.
21A TEMPLE ST., BOSTON, MASS.
Back of State House, 2 minutes from Ford H_all.
JUST OUT!
The Romance of the American Theatre
By MARY CAROLINE CRAWFORD
( Secretary of the Ford Ha 11 Meetings.)
This book about plays, playhouses and players
l:tas, also, a chapter dealing with the social
drama o! our own day. Sixty illustrations.
_ For sale at all book-sellers.
Price $2.50.
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4 .·
FORD HALL FOLKS
GATHERED ALON.G THE TRAIL
By
THOMAS DREIER
JAKE BROWN & SONS.
\KE BROWN owned the general store at
the crossroads, and was the father of
- three sons whose chief .b usiness in Jife,
judging by th·e time invested in it, was to
disagree with one another. When they were
not helping their father wait on customers
they were quarreling among themselves.
Jim could never make a statement without
arousing the anger of either Sam or B111,
and if by any chance Bill said something
which met with the approval of Jim, Sam
was sure to bring in a minority report with
much heat and profanity.
One doesn't have to know much about
husiness to see clearly that this quarreling
did not add to the efficiency of ·the sales
force. The father determined to put a stor
to it. He talked with the boys, scolded
them, begged foem for the sake of the business to quit. But talking to them did no
good. Each son insisted that his point of
view was the right one. No argument had
power to bring about a change for the better.
One day J >lke called the boys to him and
said: "I have placed a new sign on the front
of this store. I want you to look at it and
tell me what you think of it. Jim, I want
you to • go across the road and look at it
from that point. You, Sam, go down to the
right about fifty yards and tell me how it
looks from there, while Bill will go down
the left road .:he same distance. I don't
want you to look at the sign until you get
to the places I have indicated. Then, after
you have written down what the sign tells
you, come back here and report."
The sons did as they were told. When
they returned the father asked Sam what
the sign had told him. "The sign," answered Sam. looking at his paper, "reads:
'Ivory Soap.' "
"You're a liar," shouted Bill, " it reads, 'It
floats,' and I can prove it."
"You're both liars, and your eyes are on
J
Ford Hall is one of those magic devices
whereby the sons of Jake Brown are enabled to. see more than one thing in the eco~
nomic and religious world. In Ford Hall
men and wom,~n are taught to treat with
tolerance the ,iews of all neighbors, just ,a s
Jake Brown taught his sons that three men
may see three different advertisements on
· the one sign.
Sunday, Nov. 9, at 3.30 P. M., Dr. Edward
Breck on "The Wild .Pets of the North
Woods."
Sunday Commor.s: Sunday, November
9th, at 3.30 P. M., Huntington Hall.
School Voters' League: -Ford Hall, Saturday, November .8th, at 10.45 A. M., Frank A.
Parsons on "Ethics and Aesthetics of
Dress." 50 cents.
School of Social ·S cience: Monday, November 3rd, at 8 P, ~~I., "What Shall We Do with
the N. Y., N. H. & H. ?" by James M. Swift
(Rep.), Hustis LP-wton (Prog.), John McCarty
(Soc.), Roger Sherman Howar
(Dem.), and George Rower, Jr. (Soc.). 10
cents.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH.
THE FAMILY OF THE FUTURE.
By Carrie G. Barr.
(Continued from Page 1.)
Among the many beneficent influences o! vorces in the United States. These diFord Hall meetings is the democratic at- vorcees are to some extent socially ostramosphere of the place, and this pleasing im- cized, as having broken sex relations to life.
pression is very noticeable at once upon en- So it is not a problem as to. startin!; sometering the hall.
thing, but as to comp'.eting it.
We have
During the meetings which· I have at- . in this country 76 divorces to .each hundred
tended I have had the chance to become well thousand people; in England. they have
acquainted with many persons that I could two. But in England divorce is· a difficult
not ·have met · so often anywhere else, and luxury; they have just as many separations
this opportunity has given me a clearer in- as we. Divorce is greatest in a new -counsight into the human· conditions of life try-in the State of Washington, not in
which has been a great education to me- Nevada or South Dakota.
education which is not to be · found in acaDivorce does not spring · from suddemic instruction or in - ook lore.
b
den impulse-46 per cent. of the divorces
Among the cosmopolitan audience, there in the United States are applied for three
are many clear-thinking people· who have years after separation. Less than one-half
strong and original ideas; many people the divorced persons remarry -within a
come to these meetings who, are gifted in year. 'Divorce is tragic for the children,
many ways; often there are those who· are but it is worse for children to be brought
repressed, with no outlet to their beliefs up in the presence o{ a man and woman
and· ideals·, and in these meetings they re- who do not love each other. (Applause.)
ceive an inspiration which uplifts them and - Sometimes divorce is desired by only one
helps them to make life better for them.
party. That is one of the tragedies of the
soul that have always gathered around that
force of sex. But surely if a woman loves
ADVERTISING IN FORD HALL
a man who does not love her, or vice versa,
FOLKS.
The Ford Hall .Folks Magazine is• to de- the wisest thing to do is not to marry if
vote a part of it~.. ace to advertising. This they are not married, and to stop being
~
innovation is simply a means to help meet married if they are .
There is one safeguard to both marriage
the necessary current expenses of the publication. The many improvements innovated and divorce. I should like to see marriage
made vastly ruore difficult than it isand contemplated have increased the cost to
placed upon a eugenic base. I should like
publish the magazine.
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education which is not to be found in acaOne day Jake called the boys to him and
demic instruction or in book lore.
said : "I have placed a new sign on the front
Among the cosmopolitan audience, there
of this store. I want you to look at it and are many clear-thinking people ~ o have
tell me what you think of it. Jim, I want strong and original ideas; many people
you to • go across the road and look at it come to these meetings who are gifted in
from that point. You, Sam, go down to the many ways; often there are .those who· are
right about fifty yards and tell me how it
repressed, with no outlet to their beliefs
looks from there, while Bill will go down
and ideals, and in these meetings they rethe left road the same distance. I don't ceive an inspiration which uplifts them and
want you to look at the sign until you get
to the places I have indicated. Then, after ·h elps them to make life better for them.
you have written down what the sign tells
ADVERTISING IN FORD HALL
you, come back here and report."
The sons did as they were told. When
FOLKS.
they returned the father asked Sam what
The Ford Hall Folks Magazine is to dethe sign had told him. "The sign," an- vote a part of i-ts space to advertising, This
swered Sam, looking at his paper, ." reads:
i: movation is simply a means to help meet
1
'Ivory Soap.'"
·
the necessary current expenses of the publi"You're a liar," shouted Bill, "it reads, 'It cation. The many improvements innovated
floats,' and I can prove it."
and contemplated have increased the cost to
"You're both liars, and your eyes are on publish the magazine.
the blink,'' shouted Jim at the top of his
One-half a page--consisting of 15 spacesvoice, "tlie sign says, 'J. Brown & Sons,' and 1 inch in height and 2½ inches in width, is
if you'll step out in the back yard I'll lick the maximum space which will be given
both of you to prove it."
over to advertising at any one time. ·
"No, you won't prove it ·by fighting in the
One dollar an inch is the price.
back yard,'' the father said quietly. "We
For information regarding advertising
will, however, step into the street and we
space apply to JACOB LONDON, Ford
will prove that Jim is right."
Building, Boston, Mass.
-So they_ walked across the street and
looked at the sign. -Sure enough, "J. Browr.
THE QUESTIONNAIRE.
& Sons" stared them in the face.
"Come," invited the father, "we'll go down
(Continued from Page 2.)
to the right :i.nd see · what we shall see."
A: Will not a man who loves a woman ·
What they saw was what Sam told then:
be willing to let her have all the property?
they would see.
Q (Mr. Ewing): Isn't it true that a
And when they went down the left roac
they found that the sign really did offer great deal of unhappiness in married life is
due to uncongeniality because one grows
them the words "It floats."
"Now," said the father, as they walked mentally more than the other ?
A: That is why I want equal opportuback to the store, "I've got the drop on you
fellows at last. You needed this lesson. nity for the 'lvoman. -She has got to keep
up the · ace with the man. You are quite
p
Come, let us look at the sign."
They looked at the sign and found that it right.
was ·o ne of those patented specialties which
are ~o constru(:ted that they contain three
OTHER MEETINGS
signs in one, and that it did contain all that
the three sons said they .found on it.
" This simple iittle lesson" the father conLowell Institute : .Huntington Hall, Montinued, "ought 1.o teach yo~ that three men day and ,.Thursday, November 3rd and 6th,
can look at the same thing and yet see · at 8 _f- M".,~Prof. Kirsopp Lake on "Primitive
.:
three things. It all ,depends upon the view- Ch:r:istianity:". Wednesday, November 5th,
point. What is true of ·· this sign is true --at· 5 P . M., Prof. G. H . Palmer on " George
of nearly everything in the world. Learn ·.- :Herbert." _·_,
·
to look through the :other fellow 's eyes anc .: Boston Public L ibrary : Tuesday, Nov. 4,
you'll find mighty little in · this world that -, ,_ t'.··8 .:P,?'~'L; ·:"D. 0. S. 1..owell on "The Ele·
a
will cause yo u to waste your time in quar• '·merits_ of Esperanto" ; Thursday, Nov. 6, at
·
TP.ling.''.
S-· P. M., Hor3. c:e P. Salmon on "Rhod esia"';
l
[I
l r.
t·
L.
f'..--
i~evaua or :::;outn lJalrnta.
Divorce does not spring from sudden impulse-46 per cent. of the divorces
in the United States are applied for three
years after separation. Less than one-half
the divorced persons remarry -within a
year. -Divorce is tragic for the children,
but it is worse for children to be brought
up in the riresence of a man and woman
who do not love each other. (Applause.)
Sometimes divorce is desired by only one
party. That is one of the tragedies of the
soul that have always gathered around that
force of sex. But surely if a woman loves
a. man who does not love her, or vice versa,
the wisest thing to do is not to marry if
they are not married, ~nd to stop being
married if they are.
There is one safeguard to both marriage
and divorce. I should like to see marriage
made vastly more difficult than it isplaced upon a eugenic base. I should like
to see a law causing all men and women
to present certificates stating that they are
not in possession of communicable disease. I sl)..:mld like to see all marriages
made a matter of advertisement for six
months in the public records. I say six
months, because that would give relatives
and friends time to look up records; w_ uld
o
allow transient passions to cool, and would
sometimes provide · other aid which would
prevent marriages for financial reasons.
First, make marriage more scientific.
Then put the woman on a basis of absolut e
equality with the man, with the same freedom and the same responsibilities, the
same opportunity to be of individual significance in herself; for you must go afield to
bring something back- to your mate, not
simply stand still to be loved. Finally, when
the marriage fails, put it aside. The man
and woman who have failed here will inevitably be discredited, just as if they bad
failed in a business relationship, if the
whole thing has full publicity. And then,
when these things are true, we will be able .
to clean up the mass of people who live today under the shelter of pity._ Prostitution
flourishes in c ur midst because we are sorry
for people unhappily married· and say nothing about their rr:isdemeanors. Let us get
rid of all this subterfuge and put the whole
thing on a frank basis of candor. We will
never do that :mtil we realize that the fundamental relationship underlying marriage
is love, and :ove, and love, and that no fam- ·
ily can persist unle-ss it rests on a founda- ·
tion of indi;;soluble love.
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