A SOCIALIST ON-MARRIAGE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 54, 27 November 1907, Page 4

A SOCIALIST ON-MARRIAGE.

Sir,—ln Monday's issueyou had an article on Socialism and Marriage., which was grossly, false; a'lkl I would like .space in which to. state the Sbcialist's' i case, ;o iis"l see it. l'oii rightly-say that j'fre'o' •lovo'is' a corollarv of Atheism, and you might have added nf Socialism,, and by doingiso,, admit that love now is not free, and infer ,that it should not be so. It must then be an article of trade, and everyday experience proves this so. In the Church op England's marriage service tho woman is given away arid ordered to obey her husband. ias.i.f she.iwertyia.-chattel slave —

truly a degrading position. Respectable snbbocracy to a large extent buy and sell their love; albeit 'unconsciously. The women in this class aro well-nigh' holpless in the matter. Trained to'nothing but elegance, they nro dependent ,on .'airman for their living; and they trade themselves for a living, .and try to,make "good .matches." If tho word " illegitimate " ■is'.iiy !tjio' lexicons of Paradise, it- is applied- to the children of tlipse' marriages ..of ..convenience, and not to those of.'Love. ... ' ....'■ Passion.is at the root of;all.great lives and events, and passion should, lie the root of all now lives as well. Wo reverse'the theological dogma, and state that! t-bpso -whom: U.od has (put asunder no man should u keop joined together. .You'call this, iiiu'iioral, but the fact

fcliafc illicit 'intercourse j^:,' rampant' in. all .civilised, countries proves' that the present arrangement is not , ', what' it "might bo. Socialists have- more faith..in womenkind than you, for wo maintain that if you give

.them freedom,...economic, .educational, . and social, , .they "will thoinselves. They will mate ..with meii'they, know through co•work', co-recreation,' ami '. c'p-education, and there 'is not a shadow of. evidence to prove that these unions of pure,'affection.will not be as permanent as tbo ..present ones, where most .women, do not'. kno j w-.,.,th0 men they marry, and often marry from economic necessity. "■ " ; ' ■'■ "'■'■" ''

State-countenan.ontLJipGnsc; is a fact now, which'you niay piwe, i£:ypUjhave not-a wife, at the registry, oilicc.'.',,l,ho. State at present refuses'.the' right of propagation to certain people, and it seems strange,'.-in this rational twentieth"century, t". havQ..a',.,tliinking person ■question, .thif, .restriction..,., 'The right of .children, to be well-born us' imperative, and all States do' -this .justice to their children.'..-Home,'lifd is',, admitted bv tho

favoured "few who -hayo,i it-i to be an inadequate means of ■ educating , (jliildron: They employ nurses, nursery maids,,' govornesses, and tutors, to assist, and send'their children at an early age to professional .pedagogues. We maintain that professionals,aro better educators than amateurs, and that almost all mothers at present, are .in-,'.the latter class,

and so have.not the,requisit,o.. l knowledge and experience.. 'In ancient grown men were in the.scli'ools.'iii tlic.imrlcllc ages young men, and...under' Socialism 'children will.be there before they are-born,.for the wondrous power .of, pre-natal culture ; is, now : almost neglected.,. ~ : • . ;■• ■ .

Tho economic freedom of w-gmei/ and. , specialising', of. .-child-training'-.will-i.ncithcr■•'upset nor destroy home or lamily.,;hfo. There is littlo or none of it now.;-whqr,o the parents work ten to fifteen hours. a.cday, and, the spare room is let to help;.pay tho rent. I have sad memories of my pwn mother, who worked from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.,'and so was practically..murdered,■•by -.tho.?strain of this accursed system-you i bolster; up. Under Socialism, where some;.four.'hours will- constitute the day's work,; and ';tho mother is li Derated from , , tho ;dozon... or,- ; so trades . she now carries, oili in ihor, hpme 6°), she will havo leisure, .tq attend: itooathc etftwation of her-. self and.-.hcr ianiil;." tin ,nuy,;)v(iy she: sees.- lit. Our- present-..: educational,-system..■' hordsi children in barrack schools and playgrounds,, and tries to train,them plan,' as there is;.,not tii|ip;..,tq- 1 .do ; -a.w.tliing-,better.-. Education ■ under'ip.oeialisni;would bo an art, and receive therlrecognitio); it desorvos, as the most.: inr))oi]tant ..business-, of the State. At present-it [;is?.4i'.-lift!i-ri>to;. : .profession that anyone is supposed to be good enough'for,' and it is-most;■shamefully..paid. . ' .

A moth?r's;loyc!.-.audi-,cii,rp.-,is[;a yery beautiful ideal, but the condition: q£ modern children absolutely, proves ,its. -inadequacy. Tho appalling .condition-of tho'.cliildren's teeth here, and the' revelations, front tho modical inspection;- (il'-'schaptcliililren. 'to ,sav nothing of; needless' infantile mortality,' snow this.

Freedom lias ever boon , the goal, of reformers, and we believe that-.the. is freedom from economic -strain, -.ami.our,women are to sliaro it..: .You arc afrajd that in' this, freedom they v/ill rnu* riot,' aiid-ii}-. so doing cast the chargo of licentiousness ovor the name of overy woinm-.you.'hayokuo.wn. "Wo stand firm on'the inherent; morality ,'gf the maternal instinct, and would, lotVit develop freo of economic or,.ecclesiastic .restraint. Morality is a. matter, of- geography a,ijd,| .time, and. we are out'fora purer, clwifier,-.'a,i]d more open sex relationship ,tp re.plae.oJ,t-liQ I ',!dark mawkislmess.in .which ....we., nqw;; wallow.—Yqurs for tho revolution, ;•■ ■.■:,•,.■! ' " , : •... •. . ~.:,. .■;.;.; socialist :,, ,:.

Wellington;. November ■', 25.

[Our correspondent, who .politely informs us- in his opening, remarks ithat our article on "Socialism 'and Marriage!- , - was grossly ■false,-'has," sfay. his JatoEJiulmipsions, gone a long way towards proving the.truth of our contentions.' Ho admits .that, the ambition of the Socialist is to emancipate woman from the marriage, tie, mid advocates the doctrine of free love. Where ho, really finds, iault with us is in ; our'condemnation of the c'oii: ditions likely to - ; arise ?f rbm rtliq .attainment, of this , :Tho,-letter is .of interest as showing, the ..-.ingenious method oi the Socialist in turning to. account weaknesses in tho existing social-, system, and the endeavour l made, by -means '.of ear-tickling, catch-phrases,, and alluring-,.,but vagne generalities, to show-that, Socialism is the only romedy. The exaggeration and distortion indulged in are necessary "means to -that end.]