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Show A WO MAN ''REFORMER." Dayton, Ohio, h:is a wom-in's rights paper, called the V..)ati i A'hwnte. Ellen Storgu U one of the very strong-minded, strong-minded, and she lias been writing to the A1 wire. Ellon's su''jct is that interesting one to nearly all women and a good n.any men marriage She doesn't think the marriage polity of the age is half liberal enough. Ellen would like people to have a chance to change as often as the fancy took them. In fact -he goes in strongly for the trial system, and thinks a woman wo-man shou'd have the privilege of taking a hu-.band on trial for a time, to see whether shs cou'J get along with him any way comfortably. She ' thinks the marriage contract should be .' ' 'limited to from one to three years, at the option of the contracting parties," which is very accommodating on the part of Kllen. l'robably she hasn't had as many hu bands on trial as she would like, and a law of this kind would suit her ease. She believes in love, and calls it a "sensitive spontaneous outgrowth of the. heart Mibject to the control of treat ment ami circumstances rather than formal promises." But she is anx ous to discard what she calls the erroneous idea that thft marriage contract is divine. It is, she says, "merely a human transaction, intended to perpetuate per-petuate the species and produce human happiness." Love may be divine, but marriage is not, consequently a couple might be "mad'y, devotedly, divinely in love," as the yellow-backed novels have it, but that love might be with others than those to whom they were united in marriage. In such a case the "human" tie of marriage would appear to have infinitely less force than the "divine" bond of love. If this is not talking free-lovism with a vengeance, words have ceased to have force or meaning. Inaugurate Ellen's state of morality, and the state would have to stand father to the child, for it would be impossible imposs-ible in a short time to find a recognized recog-nized father for any of them unless a couple should by accident find them, selves conjoined by the double tie of "human" marriage and "divine" love. It may be better, though, to give this woman's social platform in her own language, which reads thus : 1. Let the marriage contract be limited to from one to three years, at the option of contracting parties. 2. Discard the erroneous idea that this contract is divine', admit that this is but a human transaction, intended in-tended to perpetuate the species and produce human happiness. 3. Make both parties equal ; do not exact special promises or terms from one sex to its disadvantage and the advantage ad-vantage of the other. Exact pledges of mutual fidelity and co operation during the continuance of the marital contract; but let love alone. Love is a sensitive, spontaneous outgrowth of the heart, subject to the control of treatment and circumstances rather than formal promises prom-ises ; it is too tender, too sacred, for the public gaze. i. Let the marriage contract embrace em-brace the contingency of issue, with full and unequivocal provi.-ion therefor. there-for. If one child, let its custody devolve de-volve by written and recorded agree ment, void during coverture ; if two or more children, the same, or division i by such agreement, providing that the party refusing to renew re-new the expired contract at the instance in-stance of the other party, or the offender of-fender in case of premature annulment, hall be compiled to maintain the offspring off-spring and be the custodian thereof, at the option of the opposite paity. 5. Enact just laws for the determination determi-nation of all such contingencies as might ari.-e under this new crder of things, make them applicable only to hese now unmarried ; let there be no ex post fucto taint about the matter. During coverture, as aiso in the event of nou-reuewal of the contract, let each party control its own finances ; of hat they shall have toseiher amassed, et there be an equal division. It speaks sadly for the social condition condi-tion of the country when a paper controlled con-trolled by women can be found to publish pub-lish such sentiments, which also emanate ema-nate from a woman. The moral sensibilities sen-sibilities must have become terribly blunted and warped in the mind of any woman that could conceive so monstrous an idea. Ellen Storge, we strongly believe, ; a gross specimen of & class numbering a very small miiior- ty of her sex u the country. It would be s o reflection to think fherwice. |