16 Hie Newfork Ides " iKI Mitchell the Bishop Greer and Felix Adler Discuss the Mat rimonial Views and Practises of Society • "New York is bounded on the North, "American girls marry for nothing • m South, East, and West by the and divorce for nothing, because * • State of Divorce." you are nothing." • ♦-Nothing is final in Nature, not even " You American girls are fine talk- J 2 Death," quotes the clergyman er8 ' Englishman. You • • from his sermon. If death is not talk a " d * alk ' but re 8 n °\ hln£ j • • final, why should marriage be here (pointing to his heart). I • • final ?♦ » * Oh, yes, an excellent once knew an American girl. She . • ccrmon. •♦ • All New York was was the n,ceßt kmd of *~ b ° y - i • there and all New York went These American marriages for . • a h „ title have been in bad odor in • • England lately. * * * Marriage in • . -What are divorces among friends?" England means three things— • •£"A woman should marry when she Honor, obedience, and three chil- • • has the whim and leave the rest dren." • ® to the divorce court." "I stop at 'obedience,'" remarks * • "People like us should meet on equal the American woman." • terms," says Mrs. Karslake, speak- "The judiciary have mixed this • • ing of divorced women. "If peo- thing (marriage and divorce) up J • pie like us don't meet there would so we can't tell we're married un- • ® be no society." til we're divorced." ™ ••••••••••••»••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ' Xew York. —"The New York Idea" feas been a much-discussed play. Peo ple have wanted to know why Mr. X.angdon Mitchell, leveling his satire at divorce, was at pains to describe It as a New York idea. "I chose New York for my title be *ak of London when we think of ' England ?" "Precisely." "Why do you assume the attitude ■you do on the divorce question?" The author settled back in his chair as if to weigh his words. Mr. Mitch ell Is anything but a flippant young man of the town. His urbane manner and an almost imperceptible impres sion of reserve at once recall his fa ther, Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, the noted physician, and himself a famous au -Jior. "Mrs. Fiske suggested several years ago," he said, gravely, "that I write a play with divorce as the theme." "Would not such a play be serious?" "If there were children in a drama of divorce it would be a great tragedy. I decided, however, that my play Hhooid be a comedy." "Acting, I suppose, on the principle Shat ridicule is the most dangerous of weapons," suggested a representative •of the New York Times. "No. There is a great drama in the •divorce question, if treated as a seri ous problem. I should like to write such a play. My decision was reached, however, to make my play a comedy." "It has been suggested that your '■methods resemble those of Bernard Shaw. Did you have his work in :mins\r' "Any resemblance to Mr. Shaw's plays hi 'The New York Idea' is quite tuvroriscious, I assure you," Mr. Mitch replied. "I know Mr. Shaw, having ■ase-X him in London while I was llv tag there. He was very kind to me ■when my first play was produced in I have never been a student of his plays, though. I can almost pay I have not seen performances of them_ Of course, I make a round of ftbe theaters every season, but I go away into the country to write my ptVTR-" Life as the Author Sees It. "Then your criticisms of modern conditions merely reflect life as you it?" "Marriages based on affection, loy alty, and a sense of duty are not affected by the satire and rebuke in my play. Nearly all married people "•jaw quarrels. Where the husband and wife have a sense of loyalty and ■oliiigaUon they pass an unpleasant vSaty or so and 'then are good friends sixain. With people like Cynthia and John Karslake, on the other hand, a «li.ifwce is the first thing that sug- SCests itself —the easy, the usual end of a quarrel in married life. "Who is to blame for such a condi tion? The law makes marriage a civil «Da>ract; divorces are easy to ob tain. The church may place a ban on «Tirorce. Why does not that keep "nnaband and wife out of the divorce 'Court? Can it be that the people I am •criticising have ceased to be guided by fne church?" "Mrs. Parsons recently suggested marriages on probation," suggested rthf* reporter. "Is such a system pos aiftlc?" When we come right down to it," Mr. Mitchell replied, "do not some r marriages amount to precisely that? "*Flie real trouble and the blame," •coatinued Mr. Mitchell, "lies deeper Mian the foolish husbands and wives I have sought to typify in Mr. and 'Bfcs. Karslake. The people I really aifsr. at. are the fathers and mothers •'*? such husbands and wives. Why they not teach their children that marriage is a solemn thing, not to be entered into lightly and carelessly cast aside? These parents are the guilty ones. Careless, Indifferent, apathetic, or worse, they allow their children to marry without telling them what married life means, much less teaching them that a husband and wife must be steadfast and are not to rush oft to the divorce court at a whim or after every quarrel. Is it amazing to think that the girls of such parents look on marriage merely as a matter of clothes, church, parson and orange blossoms, and know noth ing of the obligations that come after? Blame the Parents. "The parents of such girls should be punished. I read the other day that a state in the west had passed a law directing that girls under 14 years of age should not be allowed on the streets at night. Does th 6 law punish the girl? No. It directs that the par ents pay a fine of five dollars every time the girl is found on the streets after dark. We should have such a law here. It places the blame where it belongs—on the parents." "In the third act of 'The New York Idea,'" remarked the reporter, "the Englishman criticises the American girl and says that American girls who have married foreigners of title are in rather bad odor in Europe. Was that comment prompted by recent events in England and France?" "No." Mr. Mitchell replied. "It was suggested months ago, while I was writing the play. I read an article in the Fortnightly Review in which some one had prepared a table showing 100 marriages of American girls and 100 marriages of young women from Aus tria-Hungary to Englishmen of title. The American girls, according to the article, were mothers of 50 children and the wives from Austria-Hungary of 300 children. That means an aver age of two American wives to one child and three children for every wife from Austria-Hungary." The reporter mentioned the charac ter of Rev. Mathew Phillamore in the play and his remarks which seemed to excuse divorce. The Insincere Minister. "I meant that to hit hard," replied Mr. Mitchell. "I aimed the blow at the insincere minister, the man who twists his words to suit the likes and dislikes of the people in his congrega tion." "You mean the clergyman who com promises at every point?" "That's what I mean, precisely— the compromising clergyman. No one has a more sincere admiration than I for the true clergyman—Phillips Brooks, for example, a man I knew well; or Bishop Doane, who has just said exactly what he thinks about divorce, no matter who is hurt; or a man like my old master at St. Paul's Academy in Concord, N. H., Dr. Colt, I have known him to walk into a sa loon and up to the bar, take an ex- St. Paul's boy by the arm and lead him away as though he were a little child. "I don't mean such men, but the preachers who twist and turn their words to suit the occasion. I believe that many of the people who see 'The New Vork Idea' will recognize the type and will agree with me. I want to hit such preachers hard." Before the chat ended a passing reference was made to the address on the English and American drama, de livered at Harvard by Henry Arthur Jones, the English playright. "I think Mr. Jones is wrong in some ways," remarked Mr. Mitchell. "The American drama is in a better con dition than the English stage. There the people are very conservative; here they are openminded. We really recognized Bernard Shaw first, and his success on the English stage is largely a reflection of his vogue in America. The drama is a minor in terest to an Englishman, and when anything happens to him he stays away from the theater. When any thing happens to the American he goes to the theater more than ever. Americans love the theater." Bishop Greer's Opinion. | Rt. Rev. David H. Greer, bishop CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 1906. coadjutor of the dfoceso of New York, when told of Mr. Mitchell's views on the divorce question, said that in his opinion the prevalence of divorce was not duo to the indiffer ence of parents or the lack of instruc tion to those about to marry, but was a manifestation of the moral Irre sponsibility of the day. "I doubt if the lesson Mr. Mitchell outlines can be taught in the way he has chosen," Bishop Greer said. "I am not even certain that it does young people any good to teach them all that married li£e means—its sufferings and sacrifices. They know well enough what marriage is when they get into it. "The problem of divorce seems to lie deeper than that. It rests in the Jack of moral responsibility among our people. With the class we are discussing, morals are a question of convention. The desire to be con sidered moral is sometimes based on a wish to be thought respectable, or on some similar ambition or motive. Such conventions always depend on public opinion, and public opinion Is as variable as a weather-cock. "The attitude toward marriage and divorce, which we are discussing. Is a sign of the day, of lives based on the habit of living for the hour or the day—in a word, the attitude of Irre sponsibility. So fax as moral 3 are con cerned, the people seem to be drift ing, to lack strong convictions. Per haps it may be traced to the modern spirit of agnosticism. It is one mani festation of many of this spirit in modern life." "Such as corruption in political or moral life?" suggested the reporter. "The spirit make 3 itself felt In many ways," Bishop Greer replied. "It is frequently seen in the tendency to let well enough alone, aud to ac cept life as it is." Moral Irresponsibility. "Then this moral irresponsibility Is a disease?" "Yes, it is a disease; a malignant disease that should be cut out." "What is the remedy for this dis ease, so far as it concerns divorce?" "There must be some remedy," Bishop Greer replied, after a moment of thoughtful silence. "The law can help, the church can help, and the newspapers can help. It is all a mat ter of public opinion, of making peo ple realize their responsibilities. "Do not believe for a moment that I am pessimistic," he hastened to add. "On the contrary, I am optimistic. | ~" u Why do the newspapers, for example, show only the darkest side of life — the sins and crimes anil sensational events? The pessimistic view of life always reminds me of the story of a boy from a country town, who was brought to New York by his father on his first visit. He had heard much of Broadway, and his father took him to see the street, its buildings, shops, and crowds passing along the side walks. " 'Well, what do you think of it?' asked the father when the trip had ended. "The boy was clearly disappointed. 'All the people are lame,' he replied. "Some questioning was required to find out exactly what the boy meant. It appeared that there was a lame man in the village where the boy had lived all his life. The boy remem bered him distinctly, he was so strange, so different from the others. As he walked along Broadway he saw a dozen lame men. He remembered them rather than the hundreds of peo ple who were sound. So it is with | our pessimists. * They can see only I the lane men." Felix Ad.'or, professor of political and social ethics at Columbia univer sity, expressed the opinion that the resiKinsibility for divorces lay not with the lack of instruction of those contracting marriage, but in the view of parents that marriage is a means to obtain felicity and comfort, rather than an institution having for one of its important objects the preservation of society. "Mr. Mitchell has skimmed a sub ject," said Prof. Adler, "which, to be thoroughly discussed, would require all the reflection of a work on philoso phy. I should be inclined togo beyond the people In the divorce courts and beyond the neglect of the parents to inform their children regarding the duties and obligations of marriage, and to say the blame lay in the ab sence of thought and mature consid eration of the marriage relation in the parents themselves. "Marriage should not be considered, as Is sometimes the case, merely for the felicity and comfort which the re lation affords. Marriage is an insti tution for the perpetuation of the best spiritual element in our race. A child needs the protection, the spiritual in fluence, and the material guidance of the home long after infancy is passed. We see in nature the mountains, the rocks, the rivers. They are perma nent. We face a condition in which the most precious thing of all —life — is ever in danger of extinction. It is the preservation of this most precious thing that should be the source of thought and study by those who live in the marriage relation. The blessed felicity of marriage is a result, not the motive, of marriage." "Is the ignorance with which young people approach marriage due to a lack of frankness on the part of the parents?" "I would hardly say that," Prof. Ad ler replied. "A New England woman asked me recently whether she should tell her young daughter everything about married life before her wed ding. "I was of the opinion that it would not be for the best. The mother should tell her daughter certain things, but If she learned everything there would be danger that the bald ness of the narrative would neutralize the beneficial object of the lesson. The time would come in the young wife's life when she would give seri ous thought to the question. At such a time, other elements of married life —of affection, pride, loyalty, and the like—would enter into her considera tion of the subject and help her to a sensible conclusion." Blood Poisoning from Thorn. William Bamber, a farm laborer, pricked his finger with a thorn while planting a hedge at Allston, near Preston, England. Seplc Poisoning set in, and Bamber died. Subordination. Who can tell why it is that in mad houses the idea of subordination is very seldom to be found? Bedlam is inhabited only by gods, kings, poets and philosophers. Western Progress. Formerly the Kansas farmer was known by his hickory shirt. He is now recognized by the honk of his motor car. Louisville Courier-Jour nal. Japanese Engagement Symbol. The Japanese lover, instead of an engagement ring may give his future bride a piece of beautiful silk, to bo worn as a sash. HE TALKS OF POLICE METHODS. "I Can See You Lookin' Wise an' Maasurin' th' Thracks In th' Mud with a Fut-Rule." Policeman Barney Plynn was griev ously troubled by a youth of the name of Horatio Mann. Horatio was a well meaning young fellow, but he had er roneous ideas. He had read dime novels until he had become imbued with the idea that a detective is the greatest of created beings, and it was his ambition to be one. Hence his ad miration for Flynn. He had heard stories of the policeman's prowess, and he haunted him. He wanted to know all about his methods and his exploits, and more than all else he wanted the policeman to get him a position on the force or with some detective agency. "I know I'm just made for a detec tive," he said frequently. "All my in clinations lie in that direction, and I revel in mystery." It will be seen from this that Horatio spoke reasonably correct English. In deed, he had had a fair education, the only trouble being that it had not "worked in." However, as Policeman Flynn once remarked, "a ma-an can get book-I'arnin' anny time iv his life, but 't is not with sinse, f'r sinse do be a nach'ral gift." Horatio had the book-learning, but he lacked the sense, and this it was that made him so annoying to the policeman. He could not be persuaded that the life of a detective was not one long ro mance, filled with disguises, thrilling adventures and fabulous rewards. He would make himself up in the most wonderful and outlandish way, and then drop in on Flynn to ask if that would not fool (he cleverest "crook." Later he amused himself by shadow ing people in the neighborhood, and writing out reports of his "work," which he submitted to Flynn for ap proval or criticism. "Ye wa-ant me f'r to help ye to be a daytictive?" said Policeman Flynn to him one day. "M-m-m, well '—draw ing his hand over his chin in the old familiar way—"l'll tell ye what I'll do f'r ye. I'll give ye th' po-lis ixamina tion an' see how ye come out. 'T is not ye-er pla-au f'r to star-art in as a pathrolman, iv coorse?" "Oh, no," answered the youth. "I feel that my talents are above that." " 'T is what I sup-posed," said Po liceman Flynn. "Til' woods is full iv la-ads like you. Some iv tlsim wa-ants to be prisidint iv a r-railroad, some iv •him wa-ants to be editor iv a news pa-aper, some iv thini wa-ants to be gin'ral manager iv anny ol' business that's big enough, but most iv them wa-ants to be day-tictives. Anny way ye put it, they can do betther than th' fellies that's doin' th' wor-rk now. But 't is a shtrange thing to me that th' min that's makin' na-ames f'r thim silves at th' top is niver th' wans that sta-arted in up there. Did ye iver think iv that?" "No-o, I can't say that I did," replied the youth. "Iv coorse not," said Policeman Flynn, "an' ye w'u'd n't think th' r-rule was f'r ye if ye did. 'T is not nicissary in ye-er ca-ase. Ye're too sma-art. Well, mebbe so. We'll thry it on. Ivery la-ad that wants to be a day-tictive lias to be ixamined, an' I'll put a few quistions to ye. Sup-pose ye was in cha-arge iv th' day-tictive wor-rk an' a big burglary was com mitted, what w'u'd ye do?" "I'd look for a clue," answered Horatio, promptly and confidently. "I can see ye doin 'it," asserted Po liceman Flynn with a chuckle. "I can see ye goin' through th' pla-ace, an' lookin' wise, an' gettin' down on ye-er knees f'r to ixaniine a bit iv mud through a magnifyin'-glass, an' thin goin' out an' ineasurin' th' thracks in th' mud with a fut-rule. I can hear ye saying, 'This gr-reat crime was committed be a ma-an with a large fut an' a nail shtickin* out iv wan shoe. 'T is only nicissary now f'r to find th' shoe an' arrist tli' ma-an.' Oho! ye'd ma-ake a gr-reat day-tictive, f'r sure." "Is not that what you'd do?" asked Horatio. "I'm not ta-alkin' iv what I'd do," returned Policeman Flynn. "I'm ta-alkin' iv what th' gr-reat day-tic tive does. If ye was a r-reai day-tic tive ail' had this wor-rk f'r to do, ye'd goto th' phuace an' luk wise, an' thin ye d go back an ordher th' dhrag-net put out. Ivery ma-an that c'u'd ha-ave done it an' lots that c'u'd n't W'u'd be brought in an'—" "Arrested?" interrupted Horatio. "F'r sure," replied Policeman Flynn. "Dut what right would you have to arrest people against whom you had no evidence?" "Who's ta-alkin' iv rights?" retorted Policeman Flynn. "I'm ta-alkiu' iv th' wa-ays iv po-lis day-tictives, an' 1 don't want ye f'r to be botherin' m* with ye-er fool quistions. Ye'd ha-ava thim all brought in, an' ye'd ixamine thim an' ma-ake thim prove they waa n't th' wans, an' sift it down till ye'd got it bechune a few iv thim. Thin mebbe ye'd la-and ye'er ma-an through some wau tellin' on him so's to keep r-right with ye, or mebbe some felly on th' outside w'u'd tip it off to ye so'a ye'd give him a little more shwing. Oho! they's lots iv wa-ays iv get tin' at th* fac's without tra-acin' a cr-rime up. That used to be th' ol' way, but 't is out iv date. "First find out who did it an' thin arrist him,' waa th' ol' rule, but now 't is, 'First arrist ye-er ma-an, an' thin find if he's th' wan, or if he knows the wan ya wa-ant.' Iv coorse they's exciptions, but this is th' reg'lar wa-ay." "And what would be the next thing for me to do?" asked the youth, some what distressed by having his ideal* thus ruthlessly shattered. "Ye sh'u'd throw out ye-er chist. puff on a big see-gar, an' say, ' 'Twas a ha-ard job, but I done it.'" "Is that all?" asked Horatio. "Oho! is that all?" repeated Police man Flynn. "If ye c'u'd see th' time some iv th' day-tictives puts in doin' it, ye'd sa-ay 't is enough." Policeman Flynn, it is hardly neces sary to say, looks with some contempt on the average police detective, be lieving that he is a man who gets most of the glory, while the patrolman does most of the work, but that perhaps ia natural in a man who is a patrolman from choice. "Still, a man may do work in his \i' "Ye Sh'u'd Throw Out Ye'er Chist, Puff an a Big Seegar an' Say, ''Twas a Ha-ard Job, But I Done It.' " own way, I suppose," suggested Ho ratio, after a moment of thought. "F'r sure," answered Policeman Flynn, "but 't is a ha-arder wa-ay." "An' if he does a really good pieci of work he gets his reward?" "R-right ye are." "What is it usually?" "M-m-m, well," returned Policeman Flynn, thoughtfully, "that all day pinds. Sometimes 't is wan thing, an' sometimes 't is another. Sometimes 't is promotion, an' sometimes 't is not. D' ye ray-mimber th' time I wint down th' fchute an' arristed a gang in th' cellar?" "Yes, indeed. Did you get a reward for that?" "I did." "What was it?" "I was docked th' price iv th' coat I rooned goin' down th' chute." (Copyright, 190G, by Joseph B. Bowles.) (Copyright, by the Century Co.) Rivals. Gunner —Why are those ships act ing so queerly out there in the bay? Guyer—l don't know. They are sis ter ships, though. Gunner—Well, that aecount3 for It. Guyer—Accounts for what? Gunner—Why, I bet they are flirt ing with that big man-o'-war over there.— Chicago Daily News. Her Prerogative. "No, I will never be a public speak er." "It is easy enough." "I wish you would tell me how." "You should practice making speeches to your wife when yoi are alone together." "You don't know my wife." —JIou» ton Post.