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A MAGAZINE OF NEIGHBORLINESS
VOLUME
·-
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II
NUMBER
FEBRUARY 8, 1914
16
PRICE FIVE CENTS
THE GOSPEL OF ELLEN KEY*
• I .
·
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By HORACE BRIDGES
for divorce should be limited to aduitery,
insurable insanity, to either party's getting a pri~on conviction of ten years or
more, and (by consent of both parties) in
cases where after ten years the marriage
proved to be sterile. But I should endeavor
to educate public opinion so that mistakes
before marriage would be avoided. (Applause.) Then the divorce laws would in
time automatically become a dead letter.
No human institution should be held responsible for evils if it is clear that you
can abolish the evils without abolishing the
·a mor11Y.
institution. Further, no institution should
' We are all intensely conscious today of be abolished unless at the same time its
evils can be aoolished. In arguing for the
~ great evils there are in the world. We
me a kind o! sense as if these evils were ,a bolition of marriage, we have an error in
..... But what is really happening is that logic. The republican form ·of government
public conscience is advancing, and we has displayed many evils, but we do not
an DOW seeing as evil things that former propose to abolish it because of them. The
ns took for granted. There has evils of marriage would arise just as much
llO Increase in immorality proportionin connection with any other system, and
.
to the increase in population in the past probably a number ·o f others also.
~ •. but actually a decline. And so my
The second presupposition of the free love
word ls a word of comfort.
school is that marriage and love are somem 1 read the shrieks of people like times opposed to each other.
That this
Ker and George Bernard Shaw I am should be so I consider an insane antithesis.
iled of a newspaper campaign in Eng- For anyone except degenerates or spoiled
• (e,r Years ago, to assure us that
children love and marriage are synonyllrad was. -absolutely unnutritious. mous. You s·o metimes find one without the
!paper began to manufacture and
other, - ut the normal fact, which I accuse
b
...._"'standard bread." Then suddenly_ the free love school of ·o verlooking, is that
- llired, "Why are you telUng us love and marriage go together. (Applause.)
~ -~etting no nourishment out of
A still profounder error is the idea that
~~ we have all been living on you can mak e a thing moral by passing a
~r• That is the way I feel about law sanctioning it, when it is inherently
11
_,
llgainst marriage. Ellen Key immoral. Miss Key says that free love will
l-'at we should make divorce abso- · contribute to the abolition of prostitution.
at the Will o! one or both parties .I quite agree that if free love is legalized it
tor & certain length of time, and will tend to the abolition of the word "pros.I d l'eCogn!ze on the part of ev- titution." But will you have got rid of the
woman a right to motherhood
thing"? She also says that we can abolish
1
P9CUve or ma rriage. ·x ew law~ adultery by means of free divorce. That is
JIISled under which the state is
exactly as if you:ltshould propose that we
th
esc women and their chilF all human institutions the most
successful is that of monogamous
;
marriage, because it has won out
in the struggle for existence. vVe
are living today in an age when men and
women are absolutely free to abandon
monogamous marriage if they like, and yet
(ID]y one marriage in twelve in this country
Iii divorced. That, I think, shows that mar"11age cannot be quite so terrible a thin·g . as
Uae revolters against it think. People like
Shaw and Ellen Key have overlooked the
lll&U or men, and are legislating for a tiny
1
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should abolish stealing by calling the thief
a financier and calling stealing business.
We often
do that (Laughter), but ,t hat
d• esn't change the moral status of the facts
o
involved.
The next error I wish to deal with in this
free 16've school is the idea that .J;iappiness
or unhappiness in marriage is an absolute
fatality, which you cannot in any way control by your own will • r self-discipline.
o
They always talk about love as if it were
a thing like the measles. That is really the
idea that is back of all our divorces for incompatibility of temper. We talk about sin
as if it were a thing for which we were not
to be blamed. We don't dream of allowing
this laxity in any ·o ther department of life,
then why in the most important department
of all, socially?
If you take a moral standard like that
of self-discipline you can cut under two
more absurdities ·o f the free love school.
One is that marriage is simply a means to
individual happiness. That is a false ethical principle, and anti-social. It would justify suicide if brought to Hs logical conclusion. The other is the perpetual harping on
the theme of individual rights. That carries in its train all the social injustices
which we today are endeavoring to rectify.
The only right you and I can ask for is
the right to discharge our duty. And so I
say marriage was never instituted merely t9- ,
promote indiyidual happiness or secure individual rights, but that men ,a nd women
should fulfill their duty to t he race with the
maximum of efficiency; and if it does that
then criticism is at an end. The truth is,
that in the modern world, when our ideals
conflict with circumstances, we have fallen
into the bad habit ·o f surrendering our
ideals instead of throttling the circumstances. That prostitution of the end of
life to t he means is what dominates today,
a nd it is what we haYe got to get away
from.
T ha-t is at t he bottom of nine-tenths of
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t;ok fo: grant~d- ~here _has
• crease in 1mmorahty pr oport10nbeell no increase in population m th e pas t
·
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ate to tut actually a decline. And so my
aD~•rd is a word of comfort. .
.
~ e n I read the shrieks of people hke
Key antl George Bernard :8ha~ I am
=ded of a newspaper campa1!P; in Enga few years ago, ,to assure us that
~ bread was absolutely unnutritious.
'l1le newspaper began to manufacture and
a4-,ertise ..standard bread." Then suddenly.
a man inquired, "Why are you telling us
Bat we are getting n-0 nourishmen:t _out of
• thlng which we have all been hvmg on .
an our lives?" That is the way I feel about
oe agitation against marriage. Ellen Key
aa.ggests that we should make divorce absolutelY rree at the will of -0ne or both parties
continued for a certain length of time, and
that we should recognize on the part of every- healthy woman a right to motherhood,
~te irrespective of marriage. New laws
are to be passed under which the state is
to maintain these women and their chil- ~
&ene
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4.ren.
evils of marriage would arise just as much
'in connection with any ·o ther system, and
probably a number of others also.
The second presupposition of the free love
school is that marriage and love are sometimes opposed to each other.
That this
should be so I consider an insane antithesis.
For anyone except degenerates or spoiled
-children love and marri-age are synonymous. Y.ou sometimes find one without the
other, .b ut the normal fact, which I accuse
the free love school of overlooking, is that
love and marriage go together. (Applause.)
A still· profounder error is the idea that
you can make a thing moral ·by passing a
law sancti-oning it, when it is inherently
immoral. Miss Key says that free love will
· contribute to the abolition of prostitution.
I quite agree that if free love is legalized it
will tend to the abolition - f the word "proso
titution." But will you have got rid of the
thing? She also says that we can abolish
adultery by means of free divorce. That is
exactly as if youeshould propose that we
.
Let me define briefly my own ideal of what ·
ought to be the marriage of man and woman. . It is the old-fashioned ·o ne of one man
ud one WQman so long as they both shall
llve. (Applause.) That is, I am aware, the
oonsenrative view, but I do not hold that
Tiew on authority of any sort, but freely,
after' studying the comparative methods or
muting the sexes and perpetuating the species. I quite agree with Miss Key that monogamy was made for and by man, and therefore I a,,o-ree that if any other system than
this could be proved to be better to meet
the physical and psychic natures of men and
'lfOmen, then monogamy would have to give
~ - What impresses me is that all these
~ plans for lease-hold marriage, etc., have
been •tried in primitive life, and some in
more advanced societies, and they have
&One ~der because they would not work.
I thmk that for a number of causes diTOrce ought to be allowed by the law. There
ought to be one uniform divorce law for the
entire nation. (Applause.) But it ought
"1lOl to be so .lax as many • f the divorce laws
o
the present day are. I think the causes
~
e speeches and the questions and answers
M by llliriam Allen de Fo:t"d.
\
.·
"" "°":
THE PRAYER
In fear and trembling we contemplate the awful ravages of those
sexual diseases that blight and destroy men, women and children by
the tens of thousands.
The compeling urge to pass on the torch of life
to another generation has come to us
from Thee, our common Father. With
all the intensity of our souls, we pray
that we may be saved, ·o urselves and
the nation, from both the misuse and
the abuse of this exalted function.
Help us to remove -those economic
barriers and social prejudices which
hinder the accomplishment of Thy
divine intentions. Help us to be unashamed of the highest blessing and
greatest resDonsibility which Thou
hast entrusted to human beings.
Give us, 0 God, the courage to know
the truth about ourselves and this
irrtimate relationship with another.
As a people, we acknowledge ignorance, recklessness and reb ellion: we
pray for light, steadiness and re.pentance. Amen.
of self-discipline you can cut under two
more absurdities of the free love school.
One is that marriage is simply a means to
individual happiness. That is a false ethical principle, and anti-social. It would justify suicide if brought to i-ts logical -conclusion. The other is the perpetual harping on
the theme of individual ri-ghts. That carries in its train all the social injustices
which we today are endeavoring to rectify.
The only right y-0u and I can ask for is
the right to discharge our duty. And so I
say marriage was never instituted merely t!).
promote individual happiness or secure indiw1-aal rights, but that men and women
sb'!~ ld fulfill their duty to the race with the
ximum of efficiency; and if it does that
1'.uen criticism is at an end. The truth is,
that in the modern world, when our ideals
conflict with circumstances, we have fallen
into the bad habit ·of surrendering our
ideals instead of throttling the circumstances. That prostitution ,of the end of
life to the means is what dominates today,
and it is what we have got to get away
from.
Tha-t is at the bottom of nine-tenths of
this free love argument. Because men get
bad pay, and women must earn more money
by abandoning their natural functions as
wives and motllers, we sa.y, "Let us postpone or abandon marriage," instead of saying, "We will amend these rotten economic
conditions which make these things possible." Then we have writers like Ellen
Key saying that we should give people a
right to parenthood, without realizing that
the economic problem remains unchanged,
for it is not marriage that is expensive, but
having children. There is a real economic
problem, to be sure, but there is also a
false social standard. The perpetuation of
the race is the highest <l.uty of the fit, and
there is actual danger at the present day
because of the large abstention from parenthood by those who, are most fit.
:tviy chief objection to Ellen Key's doctrine
.of t he right to motherhood and the general
free love doctrine is this: People overlook
the fact that the moment you sanction such
a thing as that then every married man or
woman becomes as much a possible - andic
date for selection parenthood as the single
man or woman. Any such proposal would
make society a moral chaos.
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THE QUESTIONS
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Q: In assuming that eleven out of twelve
marria,ges are happy, have you ever found
·out whether prostitutes are patronized by
married -0r single men?
A: By both, of course ; but if you think
abolishin.g marriage would be a cure, y-0u
are more optimisti- than I.
c
Q (Mr. Isaacs): Is a eugenic marriage
a basis for a happy married life?
A: In the majority of cases I believe so.
Q (Same): What do you think of second
and third marriages?
A: I haven't any experience to go by
(Laughter), but I see nothing against them
in theory.
Q (Same): What do you think of the
maxim, "When misfortune enters the door
love flies out of the window?"
A: I don't believe it.
Q: Does Socialism include free love?
A: No. Socialism is an economic theory,
and has nothing to do with the question of
marriage. I may say that I am a Socialist.
(Applause.)
Q: What right has society to compel two
persons to live together without love?
A: The right that society is responsible
for their children, and that they have contracted to carry on the duties of man and
wife.
Q (Mr. Cosgrove): . Is the absence of divorce in England due to a - igher moral
h
standard or a lower :financial standard?
A: Both, and . also to the abominable injustice of the English divorce laws.
Q (Mr. Lippenberg) : Where do you connect the fact that marriage should be a
union of souls, and the fact that a woman
must live with a man she does not love for
the sake -0f support?
A:
I did not make both those statements. If the thing is absolutely abhorrent,
l believe in legal divorce.
Q: Do you believe in teaching sex hygiene?
·
A: I do. I think it ought to be taught
in the high schools, but the teacher should
give it all the dignity of a religious lesson.
Q:
Will you kindly define the word
''soul?"
A: I mean by "souls" approximately the
difference between a living man and a dead
one. (Laughter.)
Q: You believe lovP f:hnnlil hPrnmP mnrP
Q: What is the use of divorce when if a
drunkard is given a divorce he marries another woman?
A: Wha,t is the other woman doing to
marry him?
Q (Mr. Bodfish): Is it practicable to put
Socialism in operation today?
A: No, you will get it just as soon as
the character of the nation is worthy of it
and the brains of the nation have been educa,ted up to it. (Applause.)
Q (Mr. London): How can a yo ung man
nowadays keep his morals in the company
of the modernly dressed young woman?
(Laughter.)
A: I can't answer the question.
Q: Are not Chambers and Caine as bad
as the writer you condemn tonight?
A: My education has been grossly neglected. I ha ve not read those authors for
ten years.
Q: Do you believe in disallowing school
teachers to become mothers?
A: No, I emphatically think they should
be allowed to marry without loss of position.
Q (Mr. Sachmary): Will you give your
definition of ·S ocialism?
A: The nationalization of land and capital, that is, of the means of production, distribution and exchange.
Q: Are we really living under the institution of monogamy? Have we not a forced
monogamy for women and promiscuity for
men?
A: We are not living up to the ideal.
But our society would be still lower if our
ideal were lower.
Q: Why should not the matter of a divorce ·b e left to the parties concerned?
A: Because -those two persons jointly
have made a contract with society.
Q: Do children bring more love in the
family? Do divorced persons generally
have children?
A: I think the statistics show that children are a safeguard against divorce. The
norma l marriage is the one with children.
Q: Is it not true that the children of
loveless marriages are not so happy nor so
apt to become good citizens?
A: There are no da:ta w.hich would warrant a scientific assertion to that e:f!ect.
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A: The system recommended by Ellen. ·
Key is being practised today in many sav, '
age communities, and they have not pr, '
gressed.
.
Q: Why are there so many mothers-in,
law to meddle with marriage? (Laughter.}
A:
I am not holding a brief for th&:·
mother-in-law.
~
Q : Will not a spur to good citizenshiJl
be removed if we cannot get a divorce for
an unhappy marriage?
A: I think that conclusion is false. Soma
of the finest work in the world has been.
done under the pressure of unhappiness. .,
Q:
What .do you think of Tolstoy'& .
"Kreutzer Sonata"?
,,
A: I do not care for it. I think th;
greatness of Tolstoy is very much exagger,
ated today .
·•
Q: Isn't there a certain happiness in d~
ing one's duty~
A: Yes, certainly; often greater than tha
pain of not doing it.
Q (Mr. Ballou) : How old is Ellen Key,
and has she been a mother?
•·•
A: She is over 60, and 1 know nothing
about her private life except that she 11
Miss Key.
Q: If Ellen Key's ideas prevailed, might
there not still be eleven happy monogamous
marriage to one unhappy?
A: No, I think the educative influence
would be bad. Moreover, marriage now It
considered to be a settled thing, and then
it would not be.
Q (Miss Crawford) :
distinguishing title for the eligible man ~ distinguished from the married man, I~
the woman 's "Miss" and "Mrs.," would
not help matters?
A: Yes, I think that is an excellent ide&;
Q: Do you believe in pensions
mothers?
A: Yes. (Applause.)
Q: Would you grant a divorce in
case of extreme drunkenness, commencilll.
after marriage?
A: Yes, I think so.
Q: What is your own definition of Io·
(Laughter.)
A: I really haven't one that is mY 0
property.
Q (Mr. Whitman): Would it not be
in_jµstice to both of t hem for a you17g '::
with a small income to marry a glI'l
lower the standard of living to which
was accustomed?
·
A: If marriage were merely a bal'~
I should agree with you._ But both wo
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wife.
.
Q (Mr. Cosgrove): . Is the absence of divorce in England due to a h1gher moral
standard or a lower financial standard?
A: Both, and . also to the abominable in. justice of the English divorce laws.
Q (Mr. Lippenberg) : Where do you connect the fact that marriage should be a
union of souls, and the fact that a woman
-must live with a man she does not love for
the sake of support?
A: I did not make both those statements. If the thing is -absolutely abhorrent,
I believe in legal divorce.
Q:
Do you believe in teaching sex hygiene?
A : I do. I think it ought to be taught
in the high schools, but the teacher should
give it all the dignity of a religious lesson.
Q:
Will you ,k indly define the word
''soul?"
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A: I mean by "souls" approximately the
difference between a living man and a dead
one. (Laughter.)
Q : You believe love should become more
spiritual. Do you believe tha:t soul attraction would make for better breeding of the
race?
A: I believe it would. But it isn't necessary to talk about the predominance of
the soul over the body. In - he ideal union
t
there is a correlation of the two.
Q: What is your remedy for the 21,000,000 young men and women of marriagable
age who cannot marry for economic reasons?
A: Socialism. (Applause.)
Q (Mrs. Solomon): You say that all married people should have vacations. Will you
tell us all how to get ocean voyages?
A: I have nothing to add to my answer
to the previous question.
Q (Mrs. Hoffman): Why haven't we progressed in morality as· we have. in other
things? ,
A: Because you get progress only where
you fix your attention and make up your
mind to push the thing along. I believe
there will be great reform in the next 50
years.
Q: If the ballot is granted to women,
will that change the laws on divorce?
A: I think I must ask you to address
that question to the infinite Creator. I
thinl~ it will, but how am I to know?
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A: The nationalization of land and capital, that is, of the means of production, distribution and exchange.
Q: Are we really living under the institution of monogamy? Have we not a forced
monogamy for women and promiscuity for
men?
A: We are not living up to the ideal.
But our society would be still lower if our
ideal were lower.
Q: Why should not the matter of a divorce - e left to the parties concerned?
b
A: Because those two persons jointly
have made a contract with society.
Q: Do children bring more love in the
family? Do · divorced persons generally
have children?
A: I think the statistics show that children are a safeguard against divorce. The
normal marriage is the one with children.
Q:
Is it not true , hat the children of
t
loveless marriages are not so happy nor so
apt to become good citizens?
A: There are no data w.hich would warrant a scientific assertion to that effect.
Q: Have y ou read Mr. Gibbs' book, "The
Eighth Year," and what do think of it?
A: I am getting badly shown up. I
haven't read it.
Q: What do you think of a man, married
eight or nine years, with five or six children, who leaves his wife and -family?
A: That there were too many of them.
Q: Can you tell us the cost per capita
for - ringing up children under proper conb
ditions?
·
A: My experience is mainly ·c onfined to
England, but there it can be • one with four
d
or five children on $10 a week. Perhaps
someone else can answer for America. (A
gentleman in the audience): I can. I live
in the country. Until twelve years ago I
brought up eight ·boys and four girls in
good style on $9 a week.
Now I make
sometimes $100 a week, but it goes just the
s ame. It is all in the standard of living.
Q: I ask again, how can a young man
keep himself .pure in view of the suggestiveness of the dress of women today?
A: He can, if he has dignity and selfrespect. but it is a great shame that this
extra strain should be put on the virtue of
young men.
Q: Can a country where J.)olygamy is
practised secretly progress as a country
could under the system -of Ellen Key?
lt
If there were
5
distinguishing title for the eligible man°111t
distinguished from the married man
the woman's "Miss" and "Mrs.," wo~Jd
not help matters?
A: Yes, I think t~at is _ n excellent id~
a
Q: Do you beheve m pensions i
mothers?
Qr
A: Yes. (Applause.)
Q: Would you grant a divorce in the
case of extreme drunkenness, commenc~
after marriage?
A: Yes, I think so.
Q: What is your own
(Laughter.)
A: I really haven't one that is my 0 ._
property.
Q (Mr. Whitman): Would it not be Q
injustice to both of them for a young mq
with ,a small income to. 1:1arry a girl ant
lower the standard of hvmg to which slit
was accustomed?
A: If marriage were merely a bargau
I should agree with you. But ·
gain more than they lost.
Q (Miss deFord): Does not prostitutio1,
properly defined, include a money exchallg!
or its equivalent ; and, properly thus d&
fined, would not a reform of the marriagt
system tend to abolish it?
A: I think not, necessarily, because i.
part of Ellen Key's proposal is a project
of support for women of this kind and foi
children to be born t o them.
Q:
Haven't we entered into
of th e hol y of holies tonight
ruthless hand?
A: I don 't think it is for m e to answ11
that question, but I should like to say th&I:
absolute frankness is far better than till
surreptitious discussion which often taks
place. I think the subject has been serl'
ously treated tonight. (Applause.)
Q: What would you think of submittil;
divorces to a local board of arbitration?
A: Simply as an advisory measure I
think it wouicl be excellent. I think so~
thing of the kind is being done in the Comt
of Domestic Relations in Chicago.
'
Q·: Which would you consider worse !•
a ·c o=·unity-to go on as we do in O!
liquor .b usiness or to have irresponsi~
houses of prostitution?
('
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Q (Miss Crawford):
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;,;ierator, BiS IQea. U L ~~•-~
cn,d)t Union amonf,: th e Ford Hall
ls worthY of ·our most serious
a. At the ne::,..--i meeting of the
Fo)ka. February 15, we shall give
to tbe turther discussion of this
and practical method of
t people to get small loans
circumstances.
to
• •
us to welcome to our plat-
e Professor Steiner of Iowa.
who confessed to me that he
audience was the most difficult
.America. to speak to. And he
be .had had an evening with
exceptionally successful from
Ttew. Professor Steiner has
u many different kinds of auman before the public, and
,w to handle an audience as
man I ever beard, and I have
few o! the greatest and best the
• • •
both the
the optimists.
At thE
;Jon some one was heard tc
short time within which the
"bust up." For myself it ha£
beyond my expectations.
consideration of a number
,blems by well-organized com;t gratifying. The vigorouE
,f , widely opposing views all
strict parliamentary degreat credit on so young an
t is snre to be a fine trainan who are anxious to equi:i:
competent citizens.
and
•
•
*
ago Sunday
night Moderator Fos18 ~ new forum in Melrose to ex
spirit and method of our work
ia1' afternoon I was • elling th,
t
two .hundred men in Woonsocket
- I • Sunday aft ernoon, the 8th, :
- la Gloucester. The other day :
~
ester, N. H., makin-g particu
to the progress of thei1
•
*
*
inning to acquire the dig
ough we are only six year:
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< -:·
FORD HALL FOLKS
A.: . The system recommended by Ellen_
Key is being practised today in many sav.
age communities, and they have not pro-'
gressed.
.~
Q: Why are there so many mothers-in,
By GEORGE
COLEMAN, Director of the Ford Hall Meetings
law to meddle with marriage? (Laughter.)
A:
I am not holding a brief for th&
mother-in-law.
r
Q: Will not a spur to good citizenship,
How quickly pe?ple _
adapt them~elves _ to old I am finding out that there are those
be removed if we cannot get a divorce for
an entirely new s1tuat10n.. Our d1sc_uss1on among us who do not know anything at all
of our beginnings. One of our constant atan unhappy marriage?
last Sunday night of marriage and d1vo_
rce,
tendants asked me last Sunday night quesA: I think that conclusion is false. So111&
with all the implications of the s_ubJ~ct,
-.as as natural, wholesome and sat1sfymg ti-ons about the organization of our work,
of the :finest work in the world has been
done under the pressure of unhappiness. ·
u though we had been used to that sort ·o f the answers to which I had supposed were
familiar to everybody. He said he could
thing all our lives. It refutes entirely that
Q:
What do you think of Tolstoy's
"Kreutzer Sonata"?
·1 •
not tell his friends how long the meetings
old stand-pat defence of everything that is
A: I do not -care for it. I think the
-.rong on the ground that you cannot had been running, how they were started,
.greatness of Tolstoy is very much exaggerchange human nature.
And it illustrates where the money came from and so on.
ated today.
•
How would it do to get Miss Crawford to
- most vividly what Professor Small of Chiwrite a little history of the Ford Hall
Q: Isn't there a certain happiness in docago said to us a few Sundays ago, that
ing one's duty1
·~
Meetings and ask the Ford Fall Folks to
1mman nature has shown itself to be subject to the very greatest changes. The appublish it in leaflet form for general disA: Yes, certainly ; often greater than the
tribution?
pain of not doing it.
.
l)lause o! the audience when Mr. Bridges
answered the question of the woman who
Q (Mr. Ballou): How old is Ellen Key
,
*
* *
thoaght a public discussion of marriage and
and has she been a mother?
There was a young man last Sunday
4JTorce was most reprehensible, showed night who got a second chance to ask a
A : She is over 60, and 1 know nothing
CDllclusively the attitude of t he people on
about her private life except that she Ii
by moving
Miss Key.
that matter. It marks a wonderful change question after he hadinto another section of
the hall
already had
!a the popular mind and is full of promise I have his portrait in my mind's one turn.
Q: If Ellen Key's ideas prevailed, might
eye and
far better conditions in the days to come.
there not still be eleven happy monogamous
will be ready for him next time.
marriage to one unhappy?
* * *
* * *
A: No, I think the educative influence
There -1s every indication that the citiRev. Dr. Phineas Israeli of Roxbury was
would be bad. Moreover, marriage now !'
aau of the Ford Hall Town Meeting were
on the platform last night and propounded
considered to be a settled thing, and the;
~ happy in ·t heir selection of Mr. W. H.
it wou!d not be.
·:
r as l!oderator. His idea of estab- the last question but one that was asked.
Q (Miss Crawford): If there were soi:nt
& Credit Union amono- the Ford Hall
* * *
distinguishing title for the eligible man 11
tuen~ is worthy of oir most serious
Did you notice that group of men to
distinguished from the married man, llkt
!!'D&1deration. At the next meeting of the whom I gave seats together on the further
the woman's "Miss" and "Mrs.," would
Ban Folks, February 15, we shall give end of the platform just before the musinot help matters?
time ~ the further discussion of this cians arrived last Sunday night? They were
A: Yes, I think that is an excellent id~ p~- .-~ teresti_ng and practical method of shoe salesmen, associates of mine in busiQ: Do you believe in pensions ft#
-the nght people to get small loans
ness. They travel all through the South
mothers?
l'easonable circumstances.
and Southwest and are in Hoston only for
A: Yes. (Applause.)
• • *
a few days -twice a year. They are high
Q:
Would you grant a divorce in
grade men and will carry with them wherjoy to us to welcome to our platcase of extreme drunkenness, commenclllC.
more Professor Steiner of Iowa. ever they go the splendid influence of that
after marriage?
meeting,
man who confessed to me that he Ford Hallwhich was their first taste of a
A: Yes, I think so.
ga,thering.
audie~ce was the most difficult
Q: What is your own definition of 1
America to speak to. And he
(Laughter.)
* * *
: he had had an evenino- with
r
A friend of mine in Oklahoma City reA: I really haven't
exceptionally successfui from cently wrote me telling of a travelling man
property.
f view. Professor Steiner has
he had met in Alabama who was a devotee
Q (Mr. Whitman): Would it not be
88 many different kinds of au- of the Ford Hall Meetings. When they
injustice to both of t hem for a young
man before the public and discovered that they had a mutual friend
with a small income to marry a girl
~w to handle an audien~e as
in me the flood,gates of friendly interlower the standard of living to which
I ever heard, and I have course swung wide open, and my friend
was accustomed?
th e greatest and best the Taylor of Oklahoma was so impressed with
'rds. o!
A: If marriage were merely a b
what his new-found friend thought of our
I should agree with you. But both .a
• • *
meetings that he took the trouble to write
gain more than they lost.
.
Q ( Miss deFord) : Does not prost1tu
: ~U~g is surprising both the me that we might have this added evidence
pro perly defined, inelude a money ex
-..i
e optimists.
At the of the good our work is doing.
. ~~-some onP. ,,-::1 ~ 1, 0 .-.,~,:l_ :o, .....
or its equivalent ; and, properly thUS
~- -.. ~ --1
..
AS IT LOOKS TO ME
vV.
&
/:::1
3
OTHER MEETINGS.
School of Social Science: Lorimer Hall,
Monday, February 9, at 7.30 P. M., " Social-.
ist Tendencies in Literature," by Prof. Vida
Scudder, Wellesley College. 10c.
-Sunday Commons : Huntington Chambe Hall, Sunday, February 8, at 3.30 P. M.
~
Dr. Charles Fleischer, leader.
Temple Adath Israel: Thursday, February 12, at 8 P. M. Public Conference on
Juvenile Delinquency.
Public Library: 1Ionday, February 9, at
8 P. M. " Municipal Gymnasiums," by Dr.
Dudley A. Sargent. Thursda~ February _12,
at 8 P. M. '"The Landmarks of Paris: A
History in Stone," by Huger Elliott.
Lowell Institute : Huntington Hall, Monday, February 9, at 5 P . M. "Mohammedanism," by C. Snouck Hurgronje. Monday,
February 9, and Thursday, February 12, at
8 P. M. "The Spirit of the Co=on Law,"
by Roscoe Pound.
Tuesday, February 10,
and Friday, February 13, at 8 P. M. "Sound
Analysis," by Dayton C. Miller.
LAST WEEK'S TOWN MEETING.
Most of last meeting was given to a discussion of Mr. Victorson's immigration bill,
which finally passed by a vote of 68 to 20.
Mr. Victorson himself, Mr. Weitzner and
Mrs. Hoffman were among the most ardent
supporters of the bill; Mr. McKenna and
Mr. Lunenberg chief among those who opposed it. We all had an enlivening and instructive time over this bill. It was decided
to co-operate with other Massachusetts societies to present the matter to President
Wilson, in connection with the literacy bill
now before Congress.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Among our guests were representatives
from the Women's Municipal League and
the Consumers' League, who are co-operating with our Courtesies Committee, of
which Mrs. Foster is chairman, in a " cleanup" in the West End. Miss Angela Morgan
of The American was also present, and may
have something to say about us . later in
her paper.
This was our largest meeting thus far,
148 being present. Let us hope the citizens
will keep up and break this record.
:):
*
*
Will Mr. Peter Timbley, Mr. August Anderson and :Miss Turner, or someone who
knows the m. give their a cl cl~"_±,, "r,,_ - - - --
r think that is .an excellent 1 ..,·a
.
you
be 11eve
m
pensions t"
ot
( Applause.)
Id ynu grant a divorce in
reme drunkenness, commen ~
3.ge? ,
II . think so.
t 1s your own definition of lov,
I
•
e.
illy hayen't one that is my 0
c""'
i
wt
iVhitman): Would it not be
! both of them for a young ill
all _
income to marry a girl lllaa
(standard of living to which 1lllf
omed?
&ha
narriag~ were merely a bargafi
.gree w1th you. But both wouij
than they lost.
deFord_ : Does not prostitution,
)
e_fined, mclude a money exchange
nvalent ; and, properly thus ~
Id not a :efo:m of the marriage
1d_ to abolish it?
.hmk not, necessarily, because 1
llen Key's proposal is a project
~ for women of this kind and fO!
o be born to them.
ven't we entered into the templt
ly of holies tonight with veiy
,and?
,~m't think it is for me to answa
:ion, but I should like to say th!!
frankness is far better than th!
m s discussion which often takes
think the subject has been se~
ited tonight. ( Applause. )
1at would you think of submittill:
:o a local board of arbitn:.tion?
n ply as an advisory measure I
would be excellent. I think som~
:he kind is being done in the Court
:t_ Relations in Chicago.
ic
u ch would you consider worse fit
mi~y-to_ go on a&._ we do in tit
us1ness or to have irresponsibl!
'. prostitution?
'(Continued on P age. 4.)
--'.·:/\tr
_.
-·•
_, -
~
_ - and pracu~a•
_
t
l"g
=··---
ness.
aet small Joans
t!le- rtgbt peop Ie o "'
:: :~
.,...onalJle circumstances.
.. "~
• *
·;,,. __ -l::i.: ..•
f' :::~ ·. -:. ~ to us to welcome to our plat·:B • 11 • - ~ore Professor Steiner of Iowa.
_
"~
- ·.!'•
·.. . . . __. ID&Jl. who confessed to me t~at he
ear audience was the most difficult
, i V
9
America to speak to. _And _he
.
dllll III
after be had had an evenmg with
..
,,.. exceptionally successf_ul from
: : : - t of view. Professor ~temer has
....
met as many different kmds_ of au,~
• &1IY man before the pu~hc, and
·. _ \ : : , . how to handle an audience as
•.
man I ever heard, and I have
. _ . wiot a few _ ! the greatest and best the
o
=
· •w ...,.
i --1J:r7 atfDrds. ·
-'.·~vi~•~" · · · · •
:
•
•
/o,Ji'Town ~eeting is s~p~ising both
the
, ·j
toled• and the opt1m1sts.
At the
"--. - , '. erst eession some on~ :Vas h~ard to
. ·. . . . - a TWT short time w1thm wh1c~ the .
....id !'bust up." For myself it_ has
,,-:.,_._..,-_ pro&Jiered beyond my expectations.
:J ---•111,-ecUaui -consideration of ~ number
·1_. c _.... problems by well-orgamzed com···: . . . . . la most gratifying. The vigorous
··':~~- Iii"
t Im -of, widely opposing views all
· ~.11111:c~ -1rlthln . strict parliamentary de~ ~~
-nlecta great credit on so young an
It is sure t o be . a fine trai~• ,.
tlllill for all who are anx ious to eqmp
"
• competent <:itizens.
•
•
*
Sunday night Moderator Fosa new forum in Melrose to ext and method of our work.
afternoon I was telling the
hundred men in Woonsocket,
Sunday aft ernoon, the 8th, I
Gloucester. The other day I
ester, N. H., making particuas ! to the progress of their
'l'Dey
. _
• • •
la beginning to acquire the digAlthough we are only six years
au
................. - o -
-
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Ul::!1.Ul t:
VV..U.o..t. .._, ..,..,.
*
*
UBLISHED weekly by the Ford
Hall Associates, whose work
is to create, assemble, and
distribute 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, which are held, under the direction of Geo r ge W. Coleman, ever y
Sunday e;,ening during the months of
October to May, in Ford Hall, Ashburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts.
All bm:iness communications s·hould
be sent to Miss Mary · C. Crawford,
Treasurer Ford Building, Boston,
and all comm uni ~ations intended for
the editor to The Thomas Dreier Service, University Press, Cambridge,
Mass. Subscription Price: $1.50 for
26 numbers.
P
*
*
We Will Write It For You
Come to tbe Scribe, if you woulcl h:n·e your
letters of social aclrnowleclgem ent, conclolence,
congratulation, love-letters, business pullers,
messages to shut-in friends, composed a n d writt en for you , a s in tbe an cient time. If, by r ea s on of defective advanta;:-es or otber cau ses. selfex pression in clear English is difficult , come to
u ~ for friendly. expert help. R a tes moclerate.
All m atters ~onfidential. Office of the Scri be. 603'
Boylston s treet,. Room 4G.
Hour s- 1Ionclays,
Wednesdays. Fridays, 10 A. Iii. to 3 P. l\L
ADVERTISING
A space of this size-one inch high and
two and one-half inches wide-can be had
for advertising purposes for one dollar -per
issue. For information regarding advertising apply to Jacob London, Room 707, Ford
Building, Boston, Mass.
- .:..·£-··· S:-;._ _.._
i;;,.;
-.:t
• *
Mrs. Foster's bill to close Hull street and
make it a day-time playground for children is firs t on the order of the day next
Thursday. If you are interested, come, and
enroll as a Town Meeting citizen.
Edited ·b y Thomas Dreier.
~:'- - ,~ '-,_
:;:
This was our largest meeting thus far,
148 being present. Let us hope the citizens
will keep up and break this record.
* * *
Will Mr. Peter Timbley, Mr. August Anderson and Miss Turner, or someone who
knows them, give their addresses to Mr.
Foster or Miss de Ford?
Ford Hall Folks
-- <:...·;:-'
*
Among our guests wer e representatives
from the Women's Mun icipal League and
the Consumers' League, who are co-operating with our Courtesies Committee, of
which Mrs. Foster is chairman, in a "cleanup" in the West End. Miss Angela Morgan
of The American was also present, and may
have something to say about us later in
her paper.
*
r ....
·a:
l.ra V C.1.
and Southwest and are in Hoston only for
a few days twi-ce a year. They are high
grade men and will carry with them wherever they go the s plendid influence of that
meeting, which was their first taste of a
Ford Hall gathering.
* * *
A friend of mine in Oklahoma City recently wrote me telling of a travelling man
he had met in Alabama who was a devotee
of the Ford Hall Meetings. When they
discovered that they had a mutual friend
in me the flood.,gates of friendly intercourse swung wide open, and my friend
Taylor of Oklahoma was so impressed with
what his new-found friend thought of -our
meetings that he took the trouble to write
me that we might have this added evidence
of the good our work is doing.
- --~-f1:-
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FORD HALL FOLKS
4
f-"'::•:
LITTLE LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
}I.
,-·,--1
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THE TRUE GOSPEL OF ELLEN KEY.
of ti
pire
half
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teac
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l
February 2, 1914.
My Dear Mr. Coleman:
The subject announced for last evening's
address by Mr. Bridges was, "The Gospel of
Ellen Key." What Mr. Bridges really gave
us was a highly dogmatic defense of monogamous marriage, an attack upon which he
would seem to insist constitutes the burden
of Miss Key's "gospel." Now it is not necessary that one should have read any considerable part of Miss Key's books with
more than ordinary honesty and intelligence to know that any such interpretation
of her message is grossly unfair and • misleading. Not only do the three or four detached sentences quoted by Mr. Bridges
from " Love and Marriage" not express the
essential part of Miss Key's gospel, but they
really have nothing to do with that gospel,
except in a most remote sense. Surely Mr.
Bridges knows that Ellen Key holds the
highest · spiritual ideals of the marriage relation. He ought to know, too, that the responsibility of the parents toward their children is emphasized most strongly throughout all her works. In "The Centi.lry of the
Child" she says: "Not until father and
mother bend their heads to the dust before
the greatness of the child, not before they
perceive that the word child is only another
expression of the idea ·of majesty, not before
they feel that it is the future which in the
form of a child sleeps in their arms, will
they understand that they have as little
power or right to prescribe laws for this
new creature as they have the right to regulate the course of the heavenly bodies."
Yet in spite of this, Mr. Bridges would
leave his hearers with the impression that
Ellen Key favors having the children cared
for s·o mehow in state barracks.
This is
only one instance of the unfairness which
characterized all he had to say.
Mr. Bridges referred repeatedly to Miss
Key as a representative of the free love
school. If we are to understand that free
love is a sort of legitimatized prostitution,
it is a rank injustice to Ellen Key to class
her with the advocates of any such doctrines. In one place Miss Key says: "Man
has as little right to satisfy desire by unrh a s t itv - ;i s __ bP_
h !"! C!
~
l"l+-i C:--f 'T#
h n..-.....-n"'
i... .......
by ex-President Taft. Once more the restrictionists are trying to impose their will
on the country. This, notwithstanding the
fact that we all accept as trite the statement
that acquired knowledge does not indicate
the possession of character or conscience.
An illustration of this, which comes at once to
my mind, is the Russian spy system and
the men who are a part of it. Political spies
in Russia are well educated and exceedingly
shrewd. They could not otherwise hold
their position, for they have to mingie in the
highest and most cultured circles. But if
they were not morally corrupt, not totally
lacking in character and conscience, they
would not wish to hold such jobs. Whom
would you rather have here-that type of
literate, or the good-natured, honest, industrious, though illiterate and superstitious
p·easants and laborers of the Russian Empire?
Look at Italy and the Balkan countries.
The mass of people who emigrate from those
countries, though honest and industrious,
are almost necessarily unable to read and
write for the reason that the governments of
these countries are bent only upon increasing their armies and navies. Are we to close
our doors to these unfortunates and still profess to live up to the principles laid down by
the founders of this country?
The Literacy Bill is unsound and unjust.
Moreover, it would exclude the better classes
of immigrants instead of the worst. It would
give rise, too, to an appalling dissonance between our professed principles and our actions. Therefore, it should meet with the
complete and final disapproval of Congress
and be eliminated from the public mind once
and for all.
H. S. Victorson.
THE QUESTIONS.
(Continued from Page 2.)
A: As a choice of evils I should prefer
the present system. I think no community
ought to recognize the licensing of prostitution. (Applause.)
Q: What is your opinion of the fact that
race suicide most prevails in the United
States, the most prosperous of countries"?
A: I am not sure of the fact, but we always find that the birth rate declines a s
A: I refuse -to answer about a dead wom.
an. Many Socialists have advocated free,
love, but that should not disgrace· Socialism
any more than it would the Democratic
Republican parties, members - f which have
o
also practised it. (Applause.)
·:J
Q:
What is your definition of society;
and why do you think Socialism is · a cure?
A : Society is equivalent to humanity,
but it is differentiated into nations and
tribes. Many of our evils are due to the·
unjust distribution of wealth, and Socialis
would cure those. (Applause.)
Q:
Is immorality as widely spread aa
plays like "Damaged Goods" say it''is? • Ia
it true that almost every man is corrupt?~
A: I don't believe it is.
·
Q. (Dr. Israeli):
I should like to asi at>,,,,.~'Y,..,:'
which country of the world has the least
marriages? Is it France?
i
A: I believe so, but of course that would
not be proved simply by the fact that it hal
the smallest birth rate.
.
Q: Is it fair to make an analogy between
the marriage state and the republic?
A: I simply took that analogy as an E;X,
posure of the false logic of those who adv1>cate free love.
or
"BREEDING MEN" NEXT
TOPIC.
It is not often that we copy anybody's idea
in our meetings, here at Ford Hall. Mostl1
the topics and the treatment are framed 11P
on the premises-and others then accord ~
its that imitation which is said to be sincere
est flattery. Next Sunday's topic, however.
is a frank steal from the Forum at Roche&:
ter, New York, in which our friend, Prof.
Rauschenbusch, is interested, and over whi~
on Sunday evenings, Rev. Paul Mool'I
Strayer, whom we heard here with so mucl,
pleasure and profit earlier in the season,~~
sides. They had a wonderful night at R~
e;ster when this subject was up, and
ought to have the same here, for all three
our speakers are men of character as well
of profound knowledge.
.
· ... •
Dr. Hugh Cabot's subject is "The Probl .
of Sex Education," Dr. DeWitt G. WilCO
"The Scourge of Venereal Disease" and
Edward Cummino-s' "The Responsibilities
Parenthood." D;. Cabot is well known : .
the advanced position he has taken ~ ~
ton concerning the necessity of educaUO~·
sex matters. Dr. Wilcox will.be remernb _ ,
as l~aving once_ before given sane _and so $
advice from this platform concernmg he~
ha ppin ess and hv. :iene. Mr. Gumm_ e
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Child" she says: "Not until father and
mother bend their heads to the dust before
the greatness of the child, not before they
perceive that the' word child is only another
expression of the idea ·of majesty, not before
they feel that it is the future which in the
form of a child sleeps in their arms, will
they understand that they have as little
power or right to prescribe laws for this
new creature as .they have the right to regulate the course of the heavenly bodies."
Yet in spite of this, Mr. Bridges would
leave his hearers with the impression that
Ellen Key favors having the children cared
for somehow in state barracks.
This is
only one instance of the unfairness which
characterized all he had to say.
Mr. Bridges referred repeatedly to Miss
Key as a representative of the free love
school. If we are to understand that free
love is a sort of legitimatized· prostitution,
it is a rank injustice to Ellen Key to class
her with the advocates of any such doctrines. In one place Miss Key says: "Man
has as little right to satisfy desire by unchastity as he has to satisfy hunger by
theft."
A gentleman in the audience in putting a
question referred to Miss Key's book as
" reprehensible," and Mr. Bridges' remarks
were calculated to give precisely that impression, if one had no other acquaintance
with her ideas. May I suggest that it is
impossible for any one to read even a chapter in any of Miss Key's books and not feel
the nobility which inspires everything she
writes?
It is not necessary that a person
accept all her conclusions as to how the
high spiritual ideals which she sets before
us are to be attained.
Mr. Bridges has a
perfect right to decline to accept her conclusions; but the least he could have done
was to give a fair statement of ·her teachings inst ead of attempting to convey the
impression that she was somehow opposed
to all t hat._ is beautiful and ·good and true.
Sincerely yours,
Roy Stockwell.
820 Massachusetts a venue, Cambridge.
THE LiTERACY TEST.
Editor For.a Hali Fol ks:
Congress has again taken up t he Literacy
Bill which was so justly ·and sensibly·vetoed
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our doors to these unfortunates and still profess to live up to the principles laid down by
the founders of this country?
The Literacy Bill is unsound and unjust.
Moreover, it would exclude the better classes
of immigrants instead of the worst. It would
give rise, too, to an appalling dissonance between our professed principles and our actions. Therefore, it should meet with the
complete and final disapproval of Congress
and be eliminated from the public mind once
and for all.
H. S. Victorson.
THE QUESTIONS.
Lil t LVJ!H;:; ailu Lile Lreauuent are framed
on the pre?lis_es-an? ot?ers . then accord ~
us that imitation which 1s said to be sin 'est flattery. Next Sunday's topic, howe~·
is a frank steal from the Forum at Roe~
ter, New York, in which our friend ~
Rauschenbusch, is interested, and over' Whi~
on Sunday evenings, Rev. Paul M
Strayer, whom we heard here with so rn°:'
pleasure and profit earlier in the season,
sides. They had a wonderful night at Roe.
ester when this subject was up, and ._
ought to have the same here, for all three QI
our speakers are men of character as weu
111
of profound knowledge.
Dr. Hugh Cabot's subject is "The ProblelJl
of Sex Education," Dr. DeWitt G. Wi!cor,
" The Scourge of Venereal Disease" and Re,
Edward Cummings' "The Responsibilities ~
Parenthood." Dr. Cabot is well known b
the advanced position he has taken in Boa.
ton concerning the necessity of education Ii
sex matters. Dr. Wilcox will be remembenf
as having cnce before given sane and sounl
advice from this platform concerning heal ·
happiness and hygiene. Mr. Cummingi'
though no w a minister-the successor of F,d
ward Everett Hale in the pulpit of the Soutl'
Congregational Church-,was formerly for 11
number of years professor of sociology at'
Harvard, preparing for tllat post by a pro,
tracted period of study and travel in France,,
Italy and Germany and by a whole winter it
residence at Toynbee Hall in the heart
London's Whitechapel district.
v!
(Continued from Page 2. )
A: As a choice of evils I should prefer
the present system. I think no community
ought to recognize the licensing of prostitution. (Applause.)
Q: What is your opinion of the fact that
race suicide most prevails in the United
States, the most prosperous of countries?
A: I am not sure of the fact, but we always find that the birth rate declines as
the economic conditions rise. That is not
an evil until it attacks the fit, which I fear
it does here.
,
Q (Mr. Meltzer): Would not a drastic
revision of our social system wipe out many
evils of our marriage system and make possible many more marriages?
A: Yes, certainly.
Q: What is your view of Havelock Ellis
and why he considers Ellen Key one of the
strongest moral factors of the day?
STREET BOYS TO BE DISCUSSED
A: I think he has done good service in
THE FOLKS' MEETING.
many fields, and ·he commends her because
Philip Davis of the Civic Ser·
he agrees with her.
was himself a street boy once. 1',
.na
Q: Does the greater amount of divorce
aged to get into-and through-Ha1·vard C<t
exist among the rich or the poor?
A: Among the idle rich, ,chiefly. ·(Ap- lege ! There's a whole lot of inspiratiCR.
therefore, in hearing him talk about thf
plause.)
problems and the personalities of 'he str~
Q: Do you think a spirit of revenge is
· beys with whom, a nd for who:n, he nOf
a cause of divorce? •
works. Give your name now to Miss Crat·
A: Occasionally, no doubt.
Q (Mr. Samuels): When a woman finds ford that you may receive a formal in,il>
a man is not what she thought him, is she tion to come to the Foiks' Meeting, 'l'hi<S
he will address next Sundav afternoon
to have no redress?
A: It is very, very sad, but she should 3.30, in Kingsley Hall, dowiistairs in ~
have been thoroughly educated on the sub- building. After the meeting we all ba
supper together (25 cents ), and it is in .
ject.
Q:
Did or did not Eleanor Marx, the der that we may know for how many P~
daughter of Karl Marx, practise free love, ple to · provide that we haYe to asl;: you_
and do not many Socialists?
send word by Wednesday if you are comr
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Pearl Street, Boston, Mass.
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A MAGAZINE OF NEIGHBORLINESS
VOLUME
·-
/
II
NUMBER
FEBRUARY 8, 1914
16
PRICE FIVE CENTS
THE GOSPEL OF ELLEN KEY*
• I .
·
o
' ; ·
By HORACE BRIDGES
for divorce should be limited to aduitery,
insurable insanity, to either party's getting a pri~on conviction of ten years or
more, and (by consent of both parties) in
cases where after ten years the marriage
proved to be sterile. But I should endeavor
to educate public opinion so that mistakes
before marriage would be avoided. (Applause.) Then the divorce laws would in
time automatically become a dead letter.
No human institution should be held responsible for evils if it is clear that you
can abolish the evils without abolishing the
·a mor11Y.
institution. Further, no institution should
' We are all intensely conscious today of be abolished unless at the same time its
evils can be aoolished. In arguing for the
~ great evils there are in the world. We
me a kind o! sense as if these evils were ,a bolition of marriage, we have an error in
..... But what is really happening is that logic. The republican form ·of government
public conscience is advancing, and we has displayed many evils, but we do not
an DOW seeing as evil things that former propose to abolish it because of them. The
ns took for granted. There has evils of marriage would arise just as much
llO Increase in immorality proportionin connection with any other system, and
.
to the increase in population in the past probably a number ·o f others also.
~ •. but actually a decline. And so my
The second presupposition of the free love
word ls a word of comfort.
school is that marriage and love are somem 1 read the shrieks of people like times opposed to each other.
That this
Ker and George Bernard Shaw I am should be so I consider an insane antithesis.
iled of a newspaper campaign in Eng- For anyone except degenerates or spoiled
• (e,r Years ago, to assure us that
children love and marriage are synonyllrad was. -absolutely unnutritious. mous. You s·o metimes find one without the
!paper began to manufacture and
other, - ut the normal fact, which I accuse
b
...._"'standard bread." Then suddenly_ the free love school of ·o verlooking, is that
- llired, "Why are you telUng us love and marriage go together. (Applause.)
~ -~etting no nourishment out of
A still profounder error is the idea that
~~ we have all been living on you can mak e a thing moral by passing a
~r• That is the way I feel about law sanctioning it, when it is inherently
11
_,
llgainst marriage. Ellen Key immoral. Miss Key says that free love will
l-'at we should make divorce abso- · contribute to the abolition of prostitution.
at the Will o! one or both parties .I quite agree that if free love is legalized it
tor & certain length of time, and will tend to the abolition of the word "pros.I d l'eCogn!ze on the part of ev- titution." But will you have got rid of the
woman a right to motherhood
thing"? She also says that we can abolish
1
P9CUve or ma rriage. ·x ew law~ adultery by means of free divorce. That is
JIISled under which the state is
exactly as if you:ltshould propose that we
th
esc women and their chilF all human institutions the most
successful is that of monogamous
;
marriage, because it has won out
in the struggle for existence. vVe
are living today in an age when men and
women are absolutely free to abandon
monogamous marriage if they like, and yet
(ID]y one marriage in twelve in this country
Iii divorced. That, I think, shows that mar"11age cannot be quite so terrible a thin·g . as
Uae revolters against it think. People like
Shaw and Ellen Key have overlooked the
lll&U or men, and are legislating for a tiny
1
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should abolish stealing by calling the thief
a financier and calling stealing business.
We often
do that (Laughter), but ,t hat
d• esn't change the moral status of the facts
o
involved.
The next error I wish to deal with in this
free 16've school is the idea that .J;iappiness
or unhappiness in marriage is an absolute
fatality, which you cannot in any way control by your own will • r self-discipline.
o
They always talk about love as if it were
a thing like the measles. That is really the
idea that is back of all our divorces for incompatibility of temper. We talk about sin
as if it were a thing for which we were not
to be blamed. We don't dream of allowing
this laxity in any ·o ther department of life,
then why in the most important department
of all, socially?
If you take a moral standard like that
of self-discipline you can cut under two
more absurdities ·o f the free love school.
One is that marriage is simply a means to
individual happiness. That is a false ethical principle, and anti-social. It would justify suicide if brought to Hs logical conclusion. The other is the perpetual harping on
the theme of individual rights. That carries in its train all the social injustices
which we today are endeavoring to rectify.
The only right you and I can ask for is
the right to discharge our duty. And so I
say marriage was never instituted merely t9- ,
promote indiyidual happiness or secure individual rights, but that men ,a nd women
should fulfill their duty to t he race with the
maximum of efficiency; and if it does that
then criticism is at an end. The truth is,
that in the modern world, when our ideals
conflict with circumstances, we have fallen
into the bad habit ·o f surrendering our
ideals instead of throttling the circumstances. That prostitution of the end of
life to t he means is what dominates today,
a nd it is what we haYe got to get away
from.
T ha-t is at t he bottom of nine-tenths of
-~
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T
t;ok fo: grant~d- ~here _has
• crease in 1mmorahty pr oport10nbeell no increase in population m th e pas t
·
·
th
ate to tut actually a decline. And so my
aD~•rd is a word of comfort. .
.
~ e n I read the shrieks of people hke
Key antl George Bernard :8ha~ I am
=ded of a newspaper campa1!P; in Enga few years ago, ,to assure us that
~ bread was absolutely unnutritious.
'l1le newspaper began to manufacture and
a4-,ertise ..standard bread." Then suddenly.
a man inquired, "Why are you telling us
Bat we are getting n-0 nourishmen:t _out of
• thlng which we have all been hvmg on .
an our lives?" That is the way I feel about
oe agitation against marriage. Ellen Key
aa.ggests that we should make divorce absolutelY rree at the will of -0ne or both parties
continued for a certain length of time, and
that we should recognize on the part of every- healthy woman a right to motherhood,
~te irrespective of marriage. New laws
are to be passed under which the state is
to maintain these women and their chil- ~
&ene
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4.ren.
evils of marriage would arise just as much
'in connection with any ·o ther system, and
probably a number of others also.
The second presupposition of the free love
school is that marriage and love are sometimes opposed to each other.
That this
should be so I consider an insane antithesis.
For anyone except degenerates or spoiled
-children love and marri-age are synonymous. Y.ou sometimes find one without the
other, .b ut the normal fact, which I accuse
the free love school of overlooking, is that
love and marriage go together. (Applause.)
A still· profounder error is the idea that
you can make a thing moral ·by passing a
law sancti-oning it, when it is inherently
immoral. Miss Key says that free love will
· contribute to the abolition of prostitution.
I quite agree that if free love is legalized it
will tend to the abolition - f the word "proso
titution." But will you have got rid of the
thing? She also says that we can abolish
adultery by means of free divorce. That is
exactly as if youeshould propose that we
.
Let me define briefly my own ideal of what ·
ought to be the marriage of man and woman. . It is the old-fashioned ·o ne of one man
ud one WQman so long as they both shall
llve. (Applause.) That is, I am aware, the
oonsenrative view, but I do not hold that
Tiew on authority of any sort, but freely,
after' studying the comparative methods or
muting the sexes and perpetuating the species. I quite agree with Miss Key that monogamy was made for and by man, and therefore I a,,o-ree that if any other system than
this could be proved to be better to meet
the physical and psychic natures of men and
'lfOmen, then monogamy would have to give
~ - What impresses me is that all these
~ plans for lease-hold marriage, etc., have
been •tried in primitive life, and some in
more advanced societies, and they have
&One ~der because they would not work.
I thmk that for a number of causes diTOrce ought to be allowed by the law. There
ought to be one uniform divorce law for the
entire nation. (Applause.) But it ought
"1lOl to be so .lax as many • f the divorce laws
o
the present day are. I think the causes
~
e speeches and the questions and answers
M by llliriam Allen de Fo:t"d.
\
.·
"" "°":
THE PRAYER
In fear and trembling we contemplate the awful ravages of those
sexual diseases that blight and destroy men, women and children by
the tens of thousands.
The compeling urge to pass on the torch of life
to another generation has come to us
from Thee, our common Father. With
all the intensity of our souls, we pray
that we may be saved, ·o urselves and
the nation, from both the misuse and
the abuse of this exalted function.
Help us to remove -those economic
barriers and social prejudices which
hinder the accomplishment of Thy
divine intentions. Help us to be unashamed of the highest blessing and
greatest resDonsibility which Thou
hast entrusted to human beings.
Give us, 0 God, the courage to know
the truth about ourselves and this
irrtimate relationship with another.
As a people, we acknowledge ignorance, recklessness and reb ellion: we
pray for light, steadiness and re.pentance. Amen.
of self-discipline you can cut under two
more absurdities of the free love school.
One is that marriage is simply a means to
individual happiness. That is a false ethical principle, and anti-social. It would justify suicide if brought to i-ts logical -conclusion. The other is the perpetual harping on
the theme of individual ri-ghts. That carries in its train all the social injustices
which we today are endeavoring to rectify.
The only right y-0u and I can ask for is
the right to discharge our duty. And so I
say marriage was never instituted merely t!).
promote individual happiness or secure indiw1-aal rights, but that men and women
sb'!~ ld fulfill their duty to the race with the
ximum of efficiency; and if it does that
1'.uen criticism is at an end. The truth is,
that in the modern world, when our ideals
conflict with circumstances, we have fallen
into the bad habit ·of surrendering our
ideals instead of throttling the circumstances. That prostitution ,of the end of
life to the means is what dominates today,
and it is what we have got to get away
from.
Tha-t is at the bottom of nine-tenths of
this free love argument. Because men get
bad pay, and women must earn more money
by abandoning their natural functions as
wives and motllers, we sa.y, "Let us postpone or abandon marriage," instead of saying, "We will amend these rotten economic
conditions which make these things possible." Then we have writers like Ellen
Key saying that we should give people a
right to parenthood, without realizing that
the economic problem remains unchanged,
for it is not marriage that is expensive, but
having children. There is a real economic
problem, to be sure, but there is also a
false social standard. The perpetuation of
the race is the highest <l.uty of the fit, and
there is actual danger at the present day
because of the large abstention from parenthood by those who, are most fit.
:tviy chief objection to Ellen Key's doctrine
.of t he right to motherhood and the general
free love doctrine is this: People overlook
the fact that the moment you sanction such
a thing as that then every married man or
woman becomes as much a possible - andic
date for selection parenthood as the single
man or woman. Any such proposal would
make society a moral chaos.
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THE QUESTIONS
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Q: In assuming that eleven out of twelve
marria,ges are happy, have you ever found
·out whether prostitutes are patronized by
married -0r single men?
A: By both, of course ; but if you think
abolishin.g marriage would be a cure, y-0u
are more optimisti- than I.
c
Q (Mr. Isaacs): Is a eugenic marriage
a basis for a happy married life?
A: In the majority of cases I believe so.
Q (Same): What do you think of second
and third marriages?
A: I haven't any experience to go by
(Laughter), but I see nothing against them
in theory.
Q (Same): What do you think of the
maxim, "When misfortune enters the door
love flies out of the window?"
A: I don't believe it.
Q: Does Socialism include free love?
A: No. Socialism is an economic theory,
and has nothing to do with the question of
marriage. I may say that I am a Socialist.
(Applause.)
Q: What right has society to compel two
persons to live together without love?
A: The right that society is responsible
for their children, and that they have contracted to carry on the duties of man and
wife.
Q (Mr. Cosgrove): . Is the absence of divorce in England due to a - igher moral
h
standard or a lower :financial standard?
A: Both, and . also to the abominable injustice of the English divorce laws.
Q (Mr. Lippenberg) : Where do you connect the fact that marriage should be a
union of souls, and the fact that a woman
must live with a man she does not love for
the sake -0f support?
A:
I did not make both those statements. If the thing is absolutely abhorrent,
l believe in legal divorce.
Q: Do you believe in teaching sex hygiene?
·
A: I do. I think it ought to be taught
in the high schools, but the teacher should
give it all the dignity of a religious lesson.
Q:
Will you kindly define the word
''soul?"
A: I mean by "souls" approximately the
difference between a living man and a dead
one. (Laughter.)
Q: You believe lovP f:hnnlil hPrnmP mnrP
Q: What is the use of divorce when if a
drunkard is given a divorce he marries another woman?
A: Wha,t is the other woman doing to
marry him?
Q (Mr. Bodfish): Is it practicable to put
Socialism in operation today?
A: No, you will get it just as soon as
the character of the nation is worthy of it
and the brains of the nation have been educa,ted up to it. (Applause.)
Q (Mr. London): How can a yo ung man
nowadays keep his morals in the company
of the modernly dressed young woman?
(Laughter.)
A: I can't answer the question.
Q: Are not Chambers and Caine as bad
as the writer you condemn tonight?
A: My education has been grossly neglected. I ha ve not read those authors for
ten years.
Q: Do you believe in disallowing school
teachers to become mothers?
A: No, I emphatically think they should
be allowed to marry without loss of position.
Q (Mr. Sachmary): Will you give your
definition of ·S ocialism?
A: The nationalization of land and capital, that is, of the means of production, distribution and exchange.
Q: Are we really living under the institution of monogamy? Have we not a forced
monogamy for women and promiscuity for
men?
A: We are not living up to the ideal.
But our society would be still lower if our
ideal were lower.
Q: Why should not the matter of a divorce ·b e left to the parties concerned?
A: Because -those two persons jointly
have made a contract with society.
Q: Do children bring more love in the
family? Do divorced persons generally
have children?
A: I think the statistics show that children are a safeguard against divorce. The
norma l marriage is the one with children.
Q: Is it not true that the children of
loveless marriages are not so happy nor so
apt to become good citizens?
A: There are no da:ta w.hich would warrant a scientific assertion to that e:f!ect.
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•
•
•
A: The system recommended by Ellen. ·
Key is being practised today in many sav, '
age communities, and they have not pr, '
gressed.
.
Q: Why are there so many mothers-in,
law to meddle with marriage? (Laughter.}
A:
I am not holding a brief for th&:·
mother-in-law.
~
Q : Will not a spur to good citizenshiJl
be removed if we cannot get a divorce for
an unhappy marriage?
A: I think that conclusion is false. Soma
of the finest work in the world has been.
done under the pressure of unhappiness. .,
Q:
What .do you think of Tolstoy'& .
"Kreutzer Sonata"?
,,
A: I do not care for it. I think th;
greatness of Tolstoy is very much exagger,
ated today .
·•
Q: Isn't there a certain happiness in d~
ing one's duty~
A: Yes, certainly; often greater than tha
pain of not doing it.
Q (Mr. Ballou) : How old is Ellen Key,
and has she been a mother?
•·•
A: She is over 60, and 1 know nothing
about her private life except that she 11
Miss Key.
Q: If Ellen Key's ideas prevailed, might
there not still be eleven happy monogamous
marriage to one unhappy?
A: No, I think the educative influence
would be bad. Moreover, marriage now It
considered to be a settled thing, and then
it would not be.
Q (Miss Crawford) :
distinguishing title for the eligible man ~ distinguished from the married man, I~
the woman 's "Miss" and "Mrs.," would
not help matters?
A: Yes, I think that is an excellent ide&;
Q: Do you believe in pensions
mothers?
A: Yes. (Applause.)
Q: Would you grant a divorce in
case of extreme drunkenness, commencilll.
after marriage?
A: Yes, I think so.
Q: What is your own definition of Io·
(Laughter.)
A: I really haven't one that is mY 0
property.
Q (Mr. Whitman): Would it not be
in_jµstice to both of t hem for a you17g '::
with a small income to marry a glI'l
lower the standard of living to which
was accustomed?
·
A: If marriage were merely a bal'~
I should agree with you._ But both wo
s»
l.U!
,1
.
l,.J..J.CJ.J.
.._,....._,._.._..,..._ ...,_ ,
-- -
tracted to carry on the duties of man and
wife.
.
Q (Mr. Cosgrove): . Is the absence of divorce in England due to a h1gher moral
standard or a lower financial standard?
A: Both, and . also to the abominable in. justice of the English divorce laws.
Q (Mr. Lippenberg) : Where do you connect the fact that marriage should be a
union of souls, and the fact that a woman
-must live with a man she does not love for
the sake of support?
A: I did not make both those statements. If the thing is -absolutely abhorrent,
I believe in legal divorce.
Q:
Do you believe in teaching sex hygiene?
A : I do. I think it ought to be taught
in the high schools, but the teacher should
give it all the dignity of a religious lesson.
Q:
Will you ,k indly define the word
''soul?"
\-:
f
,_
,:';:
..
s.
§
A: I mean by "souls" approximately the
difference between a living man and a dead
one. (Laughter.)
Q : You believe love should become more
spiritual. Do you believe tha:t soul attraction would make for better breeding of the
race?
A: I believe it would. But it isn't necessary to talk about the predominance of
the soul over the body. In - he ideal union
t
there is a correlation of the two.
Q: What is your remedy for the 21,000,000 young men and women of marriagable
age who cannot marry for economic reasons?
A: Socialism. (Applause.)
Q (Mrs. Solomon): You say that all married people should have vacations. Will you
tell us all how to get ocean voyages?
A: I have nothing to add to my answer
to the previous question.
Q (Mrs. Hoffman): Why haven't we progressed in morality as· we have. in other
things? ,
A: Because you get progress only where
you fix your attention and make up your
mind to push the thing along. I believe
there will be great reform in the next 50
years.
Q: If the ballot is granted to women,
will that change the laws on divorce?
A: I think I must ask you to address
that question to the infinite Creator. I
thinl~ it will, but how am I to know?
~ :.~.'.::
~
tf
.s,_..:.; .
~v •
A: The nationalization of land and capital, that is, of the means of production, distribution and exchange.
Q: Are we really living under the institution of monogamy? Have we not a forced
monogamy for women and promiscuity for
men?
A: We are not living up to the ideal.
But our society would be still lower if our
ideal were lower.
Q: Why should not the matter of a divorce - e left to the parties concerned?
b
A: Because those two persons jointly
have made a contract with society.
Q: Do children bring more love in the
family? Do · divorced persons generally
have children?
A: I think the statistics show that children are a safeguard against divorce. The
normal marriage is the one with children.
Q:
Is it not true , hat the children of
t
loveless marriages are not so happy nor so
apt to become good citizens?
A: There are no data w.hich would warrant a scientific assertion to that effect.
Q: Have y ou read Mr. Gibbs' book, "The
Eighth Year," and what do think of it?
A: I am getting badly shown up. I
haven't read it.
Q: What do you think of a man, married
eight or nine years, with five or six children, who leaves his wife and -family?
A: That there were too many of them.
Q: Can you tell us the cost per capita
for - ringing up children under proper conb
ditions?
·
A: My experience is mainly ·c onfined to
England, but there it can be • one with four
d
or five children on $10 a week. Perhaps
someone else can answer for America. (A
gentleman in the audience): I can. I live
in the country. Until twelve years ago I
brought up eight ·boys and four girls in
good style on $9 a week.
Now I make
sometimes $100 a week, but it goes just the
s ame. It is all in the standard of living.
Q: I ask again, how can a young man
keep himself .pure in view of the suggestiveness of the dress of women today?
A: He can, if he has dignity and selfrespect. but it is a great shame that this
extra strain should be put on the virtue of
young men.
Q: Can a country where J.)olygamy is
practised secretly progress as a country
could under the system -of Ellen Key?
lt
If there were
5
distinguishing title for the eligible man°111t
distinguished from the married man
the woman's "Miss" and "Mrs.," wo~Jd
not help matters?
A: Yes, I think t~at is _ n excellent id~
a
Q: Do you beheve m pensions i
mothers?
Qr
A: Yes. (Applause.)
Q: Would you grant a divorce in the
case of extreme drunkenness, commenc~
after marriage?
A: Yes, I think so.
Q: What is your own
(Laughter.)
A: I really haven't one that is my 0 ._
property.
Q (Mr. Whitman): Would it not be Q
injustice to both of them for a young mq
with ,a small income to. 1:1arry a girl ant
lower the standard of hvmg to which slit
was accustomed?
A: If marriage were merely a bargau
I should agree with you. But ·
gain more than they lost.
Q (Miss deFord): Does not prostitutio1,
properly defined, include a money exchallg!
or its equivalent ; and, properly thus d&
fined, would not a reform of the marriagt
system tend to abolish it?
A: I think not, necessarily, because i.
part of Ellen Key's proposal is a project
of support for women of this kind and foi
children to be born t o them.
Q:
Haven't we entered into
of th e hol y of holies tonight
ruthless hand?
A: I don 't think it is for m e to answ11
that question, but I should like to say th&I:
absolute frankness is far better than till
surreptitious discussion which often taks
place. I think the subject has been serl'
ously treated tonight. (Applause.)
Q: What would you think of submittil;
divorces to a local board of arbitration?
A: Simply as an advisory measure I
think it wouicl be excellent. I think so~
thing of the kind is being done in the Comt
of Domestic Relations in Chicago.
'
Q·: Which would you consider worse !•
a ·c o=·unity-to go on as we do in O!
liquor .b usiness or to have irresponsi~
houses of prostitution?
('
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:
(Continued on Page. 4.)
_,_, ..
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W UU1U llUL Ut.
Q (Miss Crawford):
.
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;,;ierator, BiS IQea. U L ~~•-~
cn,d)t Union amonf,: th e Ford Hall
ls worthY of ·our most serious
a. At the ne::,..--i meeting of the
Fo)ka. February 15, we shall give
to tbe turther discussion of this
and practical method of
t people to get small loans
circumstances.
to
• •
us to welcome to our plat-
e Professor Steiner of Iowa.
who confessed to me that he
audience was the most difficult
.America. to speak to. And he
be .had had an evening with
exceptionally successful from
Ttew. Professor Steiner has
u many different kinds of auman before the public, and
,w to handle an audience as
man I ever beard, and I have
few o! the greatest and best the
• • •
both the
the optimists.
At thE
;Jon some one was heard tc
short time within which the
"bust up." For myself it ha£
beyond my expectations.
consideration of a number
,blems by well-organized com;t gratifying. The vigorouE
,f , widely opposing views all
strict parliamentary degreat credit on so young an
t is snre to be a fine trainan who are anxious to equi:i:
competent citizens.
and
•
•
*
ago Sunday
night Moderator Fos18 ~ new forum in Melrose to ex
spirit and method of our work
ia1' afternoon I was • elling th,
t
two .hundred men in Woonsocket
- I • Sunday aft ernoon, the 8th, :
- la Gloucester. The other day :
~
ester, N. H., makin-g particu
to the progress of thei1
•
*
*
inning to acquire the dig
ough we are only six year:
-- ~=--
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1
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'.
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-
••
\ .
, \
-~-~---'
- ~~~'~:_~~
~~~: \7 ;
/ .' . , ' •~
< -:·
FORD HALL FOLKS
A.: . The system recommended by Ellen_
Key is being practised today in many sav.
age communities, and they have not pro-'
gressed.
.~
Q: Why are there so many mothers-in,
By GEORGE
COLEMAN, Director of the Ford Hall Meetings
law to meddle with marriage? (Laughter.)
A:
I am not holding a brief for th&
mother-in-law.
r
Q: Will not a spur to good citizenship,
How quickly pe?ple _
adapt them~elves _ to old I am finding out that there are those
be removed if we cannot get a divorce for
an entirely new s1tuat10n.. Our d1sc_uss1on among us who do not know anything at all
of our beginnings. One of our constant atan unhappy marriage?
last Sunday night of marriage and d1vo_
rce,
tendants asked me last Sunday night quesA: I think that conclusion is false. So111&
with all the implications of the s_ubJ~ct,
-.as as natural, wholesome and sat1sfymg ti-ons about the organization of our work,
of the :finest work in the world has been
done under the pressure of unhappiness. ·
u though we had been used to that sort ·o f the answers to which I had supposed were
familiar to everybody. He said he could
thing all our lives. It refutes entirely that
Q:
What do you think of Tolstoy's
"Kreutzer Sonata"?
·1 •
not tell his friends how long the meetings
old stand-pat defence of everything that is
A: I do not -care for it. I think the
-.rong on the ground that you cannot had been running, how they were started,
.greatness of Tolstoy is very much exaggerchange human nature.
And it illustrates where the money came from and so on.
ated today.
•
How would it do to get Miss Crawford to
- most vividly what Professor Small of Chiwrite a little history of the Ford Hall
Q: Isn't there a certain happiness in docago said to us a few Sundays ago, that
ing one's duty1
·~
Meetings and ask the Ford Fall Folks to
1mman nature has shown itself to be subject to the very greatest changes. The appublish it in leaflet form for general disA: Yes, certainly ; often greater than the
tribution?
pain of not doing it.
.
l)lause o! the audience when Mr. Bridges
answered the question of the woman who
Q (Mr. Ballou): How old is Ellen Key
,
*
* *
thoaght a public discussion of marriage and
and has she been a mother?
There was a young man last Sunday
4JTorce was most reprehensible, showed night who got a second chance to ask a
A : She is over 60, and 1 know nothing
CDllclusively the attitude of t he people on
about her private life except that she Ii
by moving
Miss Key.
that matter. It marks a wonderful change question after he hadinto another section of
the hall
already had
!a the popular mind and is full of promise I have his portrait in my mind's one turn.
Q: If Ellen Key's ideas prevailed, might
eye and
far better conditions in the days to come.
there not still be eleven happy monogamous
will be ready for him next time.
marriage to one unhappy?
* * *
* * *
A: No, I think the educative influence
There -1s every indication that the citiRev. Dr. Phineas Israeli of Roxbury was
would be bad. Moreover, marriage now !'
aau of the Ford Hall Town Meeting were
on the platform last night and propounded
considered to be a settled thing, and the;
~ happy in ·t heir selection of Mr. W. H.
it wou!d not be.
·:
r as l!oderator. His idea of estab- the last question but one that was asked.
Q (Miss Crawford): If there were soi:nt
& Credit Union amono- the Ford Hall
* * *
distinguishing title for the eligible man 11
tuen~ is worthy of oir most serious
Did you notice that group of men to
distinguished from the married man, llkt
!!'D&1deration. At the next meeting of the whom I gave seats together on the further
the woman's "Miss" and "Mrs.," would
Ban Folks, February 15, we shall give end of the platform just before the musinot help matters?
time ~ the further discussion of this cians arrived last Sunday night? They were
A: Yes, I think that is an excellent id~ p~- .-~ teresti_ng and practical method of shoe salesmen, associates of mine in busiQ: Do you believe in pensions ft#
-the nght people to get small loans
ness. They travel all through the South
mothers?
l'easonable circumstances.
and Southwest and are in Hoston only for
A: Yes. (Applause.)
• • *
a few days -twice a year. They are high
Q:
Would you grant a divorce in
grade men and will carry with them wherjoy to us to welcome to our platcase of extreme drunkenness, commenclllC.
more Professor Steiner of Iowa. ever they go the splendid influence of that
after marriage?
meeting,
man who confessed to me that he Ford Hallwhich was their first taste of a
A: Yes, I think so.
ga,thering.
audie~ce was the most difficult
Q: What is your own definition of 1
America to speak to. And he
(Laughter.)
* * *
: he had had an evenino- with
r
A friend of mine in Oklahoma City reA: I really haven't
exceptionally successfui from cently wrote me telling of a travelling man
property.
f view. Professor Steiner has
he had met in Alabama who was a devotee
Q (Mr. Whitman): Would it not be
88 many different kinds of au- of the Ford Hall Meetings. When they
injustice to both of t hem for a young
man before the public and discovered that they had a mutual friend
with a small income to marry a girl
~w to handle an audien~e as
in me the flood,gates of friendly interlower the standard of living to which
I ever heard, and I have course swung wide open, and my friend
was accustomed?
th e greatest and best the Taylor of Oklahoma was so impressed with
'rds. o!
A: If marriage were merely a b
what his new-found friend thought of our
I should agree with you. But both .a
• • *
meetings that he took the trouble to write
gain more than they lost.
.
Q ( Miss deFord) : Does not prost1tu
: ~U~g is surprising both the me that we might have this added evidence
pro perly defined, inelude a money ex
-..i
e optimists.
At the of the good our work is doing.
. ~~-some onP. ,,-::1 ~ 1, 0 .-.,~,:l_ :o, .....
or its equivalent ; and, properly thUS
~- -.. ~ --1
..
AS IT LOOKS TO ME
vV.
&
/:::1
3
OTHER MEETINGS.
School of Social Science: Lorimer Hall,
Monday, February 9, at 7.30 P. M., " Social-.
ist Tendencies in Literature," by Prof. Vida
Scudder, Wellesley College. 10c.
-Sunday Commons : Huntington Chambe Hall, Sunday, February 8, at 3.30 P. M.
~
Dr. Charles Fleischer, leader.
Temple Adath Israel: Thursday, February 12, at 8 P. M. Public Conference on
Juvenile Delinquency.
Public Library: 1Ionday, February 9, at
8 P. M. " Municipal Gymnasiums," by Dr.
Dudley A. Sargent. Thursda~ February _12,
at 8 P. M. '"The Landmarks of Paris: A
History in Stone," by Huger Elliott.
Lowell Institute : Huntington Hall, Monday, February 9, at 5 P . M. "Mohammedanism," by C. Snouck Hurgronje. Monday,
February 9, and Thursday, February 12, at
8 P. M. "The Spirit of the Co=on Law,"
by Roscoe Pound.
Tuesday, February 10,
and Friday, February 13, at 8 P. M. "Sound
Analysis," by Dayton C. Miller.
LAST WEEK'S TOWN MEETING.
Most of last meeting was given to a discussion of Mr. Victorson's immigration bill,
which finally passed by a vote of 68 to 20.
Mr. Victorson himself, Mr. Weitzner and
Mrs. Hoffman were among the most ardent
supporters of the bill; Mr. McKenna and
Mr. Lunenberg chief among those who opposed it. We all had an enlivening and instructive time over this bill. It was decided
to co-operate with other Massachusetts societies to present the matter to President
Wilson, in connection with the literacy bill
now before Congress.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Among our guests were representatives
from the Women's Municipal League and
the Consumers' League, who are co-operating with our Courtesies Committee, of
which Mrs. Foster is chairman, in a " cleanup" in the West End. Miss Angela Morgan
of The American was also present, and may
have something to say about us . later in
her paper.
This was our largest meeting thus far,
148 being present. Let us hope the citizens
will keep up and break this record.
:):
*
*
Will Mr. Peter Timbley, Mr. August Anderson and :Miss Turner, or someone who
knows the m. give their a cl cl~"_±,, "r,,_ - - - --
r think that is .an excellent 1 ..,·a
.
you
be 11eve
m
pensions t"
ot
( Applause.)
Id ynu grant a divorce in
reme drunkenness, commen ~
3.ge? ,
II . think so.
t 1s your own definition of lov,
I
•
e.
illy hayen't one that is my 0
c""'
i
wt
iVhitman): Would it not be
! both of them for a young ill
all _
income to marry a girl lllaa
(standard of living to which 1lllf
omed?
&ha
narriag~ were merely a bargafi
.gree w1th you. But both wouij
than they lost.
deFord_ : Does not prostitution,
)
e_fined, mclude a money exchange
nvalent ; and, properly thus ~
Id not a :efo:m of the marriage
1d_ to abolish it?
.hmk not, necessarily, because 1
llen Key's proposal is a project
~ for women of this kind and fO!
o be born to them.
ven't we entered into the templt
ly of holies tonight with veiy
,and?
,~m't think it is for me to answa
:ion, but I should like to say th!!
frankness is far better than th!
m s discussion which often takes
think the subject has been se~
ited tonight. ( Applause. )
1at would you think of submittill:
:o a local board of arbitn:.tion?
n ply as an advisory measure I
would be excellent. I think som~
:he kind is being done in the Court
:t_ Relations in Chicago.
ic
u ch would you consider worse fit
mi~y-to_ go on a&._ we do in tit
us1ness or to have irresponsibl!
'. prostitution?
'(Continued on P age. 4.)
--'.·:/\tr
_.
-·•
_, -
~
_ - and pracu~a•
_
t
l"g
=··---
ness.
aet small Joans
t!le- rtgbt peop Ie o "'
:: :~
.,...onalJle circumstances.
.. "~
• *
·;,,. __ -l::i.: ..•
f' :::~ ·. -:. ~ to us to welcome to our plat·:B • 11 • - ~ore Professor Steiner of Iowa.
_
"~
- ·.!'•
·.. . . . __. ID&Jl. who confessed to me t~at he
ear audience was the most difficult
, i V
9
America to speak to. _And _he
.
dllll III
after be had had an evenmg with
..
,,.. exceptionally successf_ul from
: : : - t of view. Professor ~temer has
....
met as many different kmds_ of au,~
• &1IY man before the pu~hc, and
·. _ \ : : , . how to handle an audience as
•.
man I ever heard, and I have
. _ . wiot a few _ ! the greatest and best the
o
=
· •w ...,.
i --1J:r7 atfDrds. ·
-'.·~vi~•~" · · · · •
:
•
•
/o,Ji'Town ~eeting is s~p~ising both
the
, ·j
toled• and the opt1m1sts.
At the
"--. - , '. erst eession some on~ :Vas h~ard to
. ·. . . . - a TWT short time w1thm wh1c~ the .
....id !'bust up." For myself it_ has
,,-:.,_._..,-_ pro&Jiered beyond my expectations.
:J ---•111,-ecUaui -consideration of ~ number
·1_. c _.... problems by well-orgamzed com···: . . . . . la most gratifying. The vigorous
··':~~- Iii"
t Im -of, widely opposing views all
· ~.11111:c~ -1rlthln . strict parliamentary de~ ~~
-nlecta great credit on so young an
It is sure t o be . a fine trai~• ,.
tlllill for all who are anx ious to eqmp
"
• competent <:itizens.
•
•
*
Sunday night Moderator Fosa new forum in Melrose to ext and method of our work.
afternoon I was telling the
hundred men in Woonsocket,
Sunday aft ernoon, the 8th, I
Gloucester. The other day I
ester, N. H., making particuas ! to the progress of their
'l'Dey
. _
• • •
la beginning to acquire the digAlthough we are only six years
au
................. - o -
-
ll0 \\'
Ul::!1.Ul t:
VV..U.o..t. .._, ..,..,.
*
*
UBLISHED weekly by the Ford
Hall Associates, whose work
is to create, assemble, and
distribute 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, which are held, under the direction of Geo r ge W. Coleman, ever y
Sunday e;,ening during the months of
October to May, in Ford Hall, Ashburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts.
All bm:iness communications s·hould
be sent to Miss Mary · C. Crawford,
Treasurer Ford Building, Boston,
and all comm uni ~ations intended for
the editor to The Thomas Dreier Service, University Press, Cambridge,
Mass. Subscription Price: $1.50 for
26 numbers.
P
*
*
We Will Write It For You
Come to tbe Scribe, if you woulcl h:n·e your
letters of social aclrnowleclgem ent, conclolence,
congratulation, love-letters, business pullers,
messages to shut-in friends, composed a n d writt en for you , a s in tbe an cient time. If, by r ea s on of defective advanta;:-es or otber cau ses. selfex pression in clear English is difficult , come to
u ~ for friendly. expert help. R a tes moclerate.
All m atters ~onfidential. Office of the Scri be. 603'
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Hour s- 1Ionclays,
Wednesdays. Fridays, 10 A. Iii. to 3 P. l\L
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A space of this size-one inch high and
two and one-half inches wide-can be had
for advertising purposes for one dollar -per
issue. For information regarding advertising apply to Jacob London, Room 707, Ford
Building, Boston, Mass.
- .:..·£-··· S:-;._ _.._
i;;,.;
-.:t
• *
Mrs. Foster's bill to close Hull street and
make it a day-time playground for children is firs t on the order of the day next
Thursday. If you are interested, come, and
enroll as a Town Meeting citizen.
Edited ·b y Thomas Dreier.
~:'- - ,~ '-,_
:;:
This was our largest meeting thus far,
148 being present. Let us hope the citizens
will keep up and break this record.
* * *
Will Mr. Peter Timbley, Mr. August Anderson and Miss Turner, or someone who
knows them, give their addresses to Mr.
Foster or Miss de Ford?
Ford Hall Folks
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Among our guests wer e representatives
from the Women's Mun icipal League and
the Consumers' League, who are co-operating with our Courtesies Committee, of
which Mrs. Foster is chairman, in a "cleanup" in the West End. Miss Angela Morgan
of The American was also present, and may
have something to say about us later in
her paper.
*
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and Southwest and are in Hoston only for
a few days twi-ce a year. They are high
grade men and will carry with them wherever they go the s plendid influence of that
meeting, which was their first taste of a
Ford Hall gathering.
* * *
A friend of mine in Oklahoma City recently wrote me telling of a travelling man
he had met in Alabama who was a devotee
of the Ford Hall Meetings. When they
discovered that they had a mutual friend
in me the flood.,gates of friendly intercourse swung wide open, and my friend
Taylor of Oklahoma was so impressed with
what his new-found friend thought of -our
meetings that he took the trouble to write
me that we might have this added evidence
of the good our work is doing.
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FORD HALL FOLKS
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LITTLE LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
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THE TRUE GOSPEL OF ELLEN KEY.
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February 2, 1914.
My Dear Mr. Coleman:
The subject announced for last evening's
address by Mr. Bridges was, "The Gospel of
Ellen Key." What Mr. Bridges really gave
us was a highly dogmatic defense of monogamous marriage, an attack upon which he
would seem to insist constitutes the burden
of Miss Key's "gospel." Now it is not necessary that one should have read any considerable part of Miss Key's books with
more than ordinary honesty and intelligence to know that any such interpretation
of her message is grossly unfair and • misleading. Not only do the three or four detached sentences quoted by Mr. Bridges
from " Love and Marriage" not express the
essential part of Miss Key's gospel, but they
really have nothing to do with that gospel,
except in a most remote sense. Surely Mr.
Bridges knows that Ellen Key holds the
highest · spiritual ideals of the marriage relation. He ought to know, too, that the responsibility of the parents toward their children is emphasized most strongly throughout all her works. In "The Centi.lry of the
Child" she says: "Not until father and
mother bend their heads to the dust before
the greatness of the child, not before they
perceive that the word child is only another
expression of the idea ·of majesty, not before
they feel that it is the future which in the
form of a child sleeps in their arms, will
they understand that they have as little
power or right to prescribe laws for this
new creature as they have the right to regulate the course of the heavenly bodies."
Yet in spite of this, Mr. Bridges would
leave his hearers with the impression that
Ellen Key favors having the children cared
for s·o mehow in state barracks.
This is
only one instance of the unfairness which
characterized all he had to say.
Mr. Bridges referred repeatedly to Miss
Key as a representative of the free love
school. If we are to understand that free
love is a sort of legitimatized prostitution,
it is a rank injustice to Ellen Key to class
her with the advocates of any such doctrines. In one place Miss Key says: "Man
has as little right to satisfy desire by unrh a s t itv - ;i s __ bP_
h !"! C!
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by ex-President Taft. Once more the restrictionists are trying to impose their will
on the country. This, notwithstanding the
fact that we all accept as trite the statement
that acquired knowledge does not indicate
the possession of character or conscience.
An illustration of this, which comes at once to
my mind, is the Russian spy system and
the men who are a part of it. Political spies
in Russia are well educated and exceedingly
shrewd. They could not otherwise hold
their position, for they have to mingie in the
highest and most cultured circles. But if
they were not morally corrupt, not totally
lacking in character and conscience, they
would not wish to hold such jobs. Whom
would you rather have here-that type of
literate, or the good-natured, honest, industrious, though illiterate and superstitious
p·easants and laborers of the Russian Empire?
Look at Italy and the Balkan countries.
The mass of people who emigrate from those
countries, though honest and industrious,
are almost necessarily unable to read and
write for the reason that the governments of
these countries are bent only upon increasing their armies and navies. Are we to close
our doors to these unfortunates and still profess to live up to the principles laid down by
the founders of this country?
The Literacy Bill is unsound and unjust.
Moreover, it would exclude the better classes
of immigrants instead of the worst. It would
give rise, too, to an appalling dissonance between our professed principles and our actions. Therefore, it should meet with the
complete and final disapproval of Congress
and be eliminated from the public mind once
and for all.
H. S. Victorson.
THE QUESTIONS.
(Continued from Page 2.)
A: As a choice of evils I should prefer
the present system. I think no community
ought to recognize the licensing of prostitution. (Applause.)
Q: What is your opinion of the fact that
race suicide most prevails in the United
States, the most prosperous of countries"?
A: I am not sure of the fact, but we always find that the birth rate declines a s
A: I refuse -to answer about a dead wom.
an. Many Socialists have advocated free,
love, but that should not disgrace· Socialism
any more than it would the Democratic
Republican parties, members - f which have
o
also practised it. (Applause.)
·:J
Q:
What is your definition of society;
and why do you think Socialism is · a cure?
A : Society is equivalent to humanity,
but it is differentiated into nations and
tribes. Many of our evils are due to the·
unjust distribution of wealth, and Socialis
would cure those. (Applause.)
Q:
Is immorality as widely spread aa
plays like "Damaged Goods" say it''is? • Ia
it true that almost every man is corrupt?~
A: I don't believe it is.
·
Q. (Dr. Israeli):
I should like to asi at>,,,,.~'Y,..,:'
which country of the world has the least
marriages? Is it France?
i
A: I believe so, but of course that would
not be proved simply by the fact that it hal
the smallest birth rate.
.
Q: Is it fair to make an analogy between
the marriage state and the republic?
A: I simply took that analogy as an E;X,
posure of the false logic of those who adv1>cate free love.
or
"BREEDING MEN" NEXT
TOPIC.
It is not often that we copy anybody's idea
in our meetings, here at Ford Hall. Mostl1
the topics and the treatment are framed 11P
on the premises-and others then accord ~
its that imitation which is said to be sincere
est flattery. Next Sunday's topic, however.
is a frank steal from the Forum at Roche&:
ter, New York, in which our friend, Prof.
Rauschenbusch, is interested, and over whi~
on Sunday evenings, Rev. Paul Mool'I
Strayer, whom we heard here with so mucl,
pleasure and profit earlier in the season,~~
sides. They had a wonderful night at R~
e;ster when this subject was up, and
ought to have the same here, for all three
our speakers are men of character as well
of profound knowledge.
.
· ... •
Dr. Hugh Cabot's subject is "The Probl .
of Sex Education," Dr. DeWitt G. WilCO
"The Scourge of Venereal Disease" and
Edward Cummino-s' "The Responsibilities
Parenthood." D;. Cabot is well known : .
the advanced position he has taken ~ ~
ton concerning the necessity of educaUO~·
sex matters. Dr. Wilcox will.be remernb _ ,
as l~aving once_ before given sane _and so $
advice from this platform concernmg he~
ha ppin ess and hv. :iene. Mr. Gumm_ e
......... .::,
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Child" she says: "Not until father and
mother bend their heads to the dust before
the greatness of the child, not before they
perceive that the' word child is only another
expression of the idea ·of majesty, not before
they feel that it is the future which in the
form of a child sleeps in their arms, will
they understand that they have as little
power or right to prescribe laws for this
new creature as .they have the right to regulate the course of the heavenly bodies."
Yet in spite of this, Mr. Bridges would
leave his hearers with the impression that
Ellen Key favors having the children cared
for somehow in state barracks.
This is
only one instance of the unfairness which
characterized all he had to say.
Mr. Bridges referred repeatedly to Miss
Key as a representative of the free love
school. If we are to understand that free
love is a sort of legitimatized· prostitution,
it is a rank injustice to Ellen Key to class
her with the advocates of any such doctrines. In one place Miss Key says: "Man
has as little right to satisfy desire by unchastity as he has to satisfy hunger by
theft."
A gentleman in the audience in putting a
question referred to Miss Key's book as
" reprehensible," and Mr. Bridges' remarks
were calculated to give precisely that impression, if one had no other acquaintance
with her ideas. May I suggest that it is
impossible for any one to read even a chapter in any of Miss Key's books and not feel
the nobility which inspires everything she
writes?
It is not necessary that a person
accept all her conclusions as to how the
high spiritual ideals which she sets before
us are to be attained.
Mr. Bridges has a
perfect right to decline to accept her conclusions; but the least he could have done
was to give a fair statement of ·her teachings inst ead of attempting to convey the
impression that she was somehow opposed
to all t hat._ is beautiful and ·good and true.
Sincerely yours,
Roy Stockwell.
820 Massachusetts a venue, Cambridge.
THE LiTERACY TEST.
Editor For.a Hali Fol ks:
Congress has again taken up t he Literacy
Bill which was so justly ·and sensibly·vetoed
f'I
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our doors to these unfortunates and still profess to live up to the principles laid down by
the founders of this country?
The Literacy Bill is unsound and unjust.
Moreover, it would exclude the better classes
of immigrants instead of the worst. It would
give rise, too, to an appalling dissonance between our professed principles and our actions. Therefore, it should meet with the
complete and final disapproval of Congress
and be eliminated from the public mind once
and for all.
H. S. Victorson.
THE QUESTIONS.
Lil t LVJ!H;:; ailu Lile Lreauuent are framed
on the pre?lis_es-an? ot?ers . then accord ~
us that imitation which 1s said to be sin 'est flattery. Next Sunday's topic, howe~·
is a frank steal from the Forum at Roe~
ter, New York, in which our friend ~
Rauschenbusch, is interested, and over' Whi~
on Sunday evenings, Rev. Paul M
Strayer, whom we heard here with so rn°:'
pleasure and profit earlier in the season,
sides. They had a wonderful night at Roe.
ester when this subject was up, and ._
ought to have the same here, for all three QI
our speakers are men of character as weu
111
of profound knowledge.
Dr. Hugh Cabot's subject is "The ProblelJl
of Sex Education," Dr. DeWitt G. Wi!cor,
" The Scourge of Venereal Disease" and Re,
Edward Cummings' "The Responsibilities ~
Parenthood." Dr. Cabot is well known b
the advanced position he has taken in Boa.
ton concerning the necessity of education Ii
sex matters. Dr. Wilcox will be remembenf
as having cnce before given sane and sounl
advice from this platform concerning heal ·
happiness and hygiene. Mr. Cummingi'
though no w a minister-the successor of F,d
ward Everett Hale in the pulpit of the Soutl'
Congregational Church-,was formerly for 11
number of years professor of sociology at'
Harvard, preparing for tllat post by a pro,
tracted period of study and travel in France,,
Italy and Germany and by a whole winter it
residence at Toynbee Hall in the heart
London's Whitechapel district.
v!
(Continued from Page 2. )
A: As a choice of evils I should prefer
the present system. I think no community
ought to recognize the licensing of prostitution. (Applause.)
Q: What is your opinion of the fact that
race suicide most prevails in the United
States, the most prosperous of countries?
A: I am not sure of the fact, but we always find that the birth rate declines as
the economic conditions rise. That is not
an evil until it attacks the fit, which I fear
it does here.
,
Q (Mr. Meltzer): Would not a drastic
revision of our social system wipe out many
evils of our marriage system and make possible many more marriages?
A: Yes, certainly.
Q: What is your view of Havelock Ellis
and why he considers Ellen Key one of the
strongest moral factors of the day?
STREET BOYS TO BE DISCUSSED
A: I think he has done good service in
THE FOLKS' MEETING.
many fields, and ·he commends her because
Philip Davis of the Civic Ser·
he agrees with her.
was himself a street boy once. 1',
.na
Q: Does the greater amount of divorce
aged to get into-and through-Ha1·vard C<t
exist among the rich or the poor?
A: Among the idle rich, ,chiefly. ·(Ap- lege ! There's a whole lot of inspiratiCR.
therefore, in hearing him talk about thf
plause.)
problems and the personalities of 'he str~
Q: Do you think a spirit of revenge is
· beys with whom, a nd for who:n, he nOf
a cause of divorce? •
works. Give your name now to Miss Crat·
A: Occasionally, no doubt.
Q (Mr. Samuels): When a woman finds ford that you may receive a formal in,il>
a man is not what she thought him, is she tion to come to the Foiks' Meeting, 'l'hi<S
he will address next Sundav afternoon
to have no redress?
A: It is very, very sad, but she should 3.30, in Kingsley Hall, dowiistairs in ~
have been thoroughly educated on the sub- building. After the meeting we all ba
supper together (25 cents ), and it is in .
ject.
Q:
Did or did not Eleanor Marx, the der that we may know for how many P~
daughter of Karl Marx, practise free love, ple to · provide that we haYe to asl;: you_
and do not many Socialists?
send word by Wednesday if you are comr
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.
E . L Gnmes Comp.any, Printers,~
1z.2
. ./~
Pearl Street, Boston, Mass.
I
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