The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-05-27
From ths washi9gtOn Globe.
Protection 10 Married Men,


An act has been introduced into the Cali. |
!ornia Assembly, to exempt from attach. I
ment, execution or punishment, one month's
wages, not exceeding one hundred and fifty
dollars; of ndrried mechanics, laborers and
clerks, and Of persons having under their
charge, and dependent on them for support,
fathers, mothers, minor others and sisters,
children Of deceased wife, OF other orphan
children.
On this proposed preference Of married 10
single men, a bachelor writer, in the San
Francisco Bulletin, sorrowfully comments
as follows:
"The Yankee notion Of putting oil the
burthens OF taxation and government upon
sing lie men, is becoming alurmingly prevail
ent throughout the whole country, and il
won't be long before they (the bachelors)
will bove TO organizs for their own protec-
tim. The washerwomen impose on US
| the landladies tyrannize over and bully Us
the married men 'snub' us-and the law.
makers fleece US in every way imaginable,
besides making odious exceptions TO our dis
advantage. Ifa war breaks out, who is 80
proper a volunteer for 'bould soger boy as
your bachelor! The whole community cGll
on him to 60 to the wars, and be candidate
for glory and food for powder. 1t doeen't
make any difference, says the kind.hearted
people, il he does get killed there is nobody
to care for him; never considering that the
poor fellow might care for himself. And
thus they continually irritate, annoy, and
bodser US, like bill in ring, Until, in fit
of desperation, the poor bachelor either
throws himself away upon the first petticoat
that comes in h!s way, or else takes to the
sea, the field, or-poison."
The credit or shame Of originating legal
preferehbe of married men to bachelors does
not rest with the inventive Yankees, who
have only applied the means used by the an.
cient ndtiorB for the promotion Of marriage.
The Roman censors frequently fined old
> bachelors. Dion. Harlicarnasus mentions
an old constitution, by which all persons o
full age were obliged to marry. But the
most celebrated law Of this kind was the
Julian law, which Horace mentions, made
Under Augustus, by which premiums were
awarded to married men, and bachelors were
ihcdpoBle Of receiving lggacies or inheri
tances, except from their near relatives
The Jewish rabbis maintain that, by the
laws of Moses, all persons, with few ex'
: ceptioas, are obliged in conscience to marry
at twenty years of nge: One of their max
inns declared bachelors to be hohnicides:
Lycutgus, the Spartan law giver, was es
: pecially hostile to celibucy. BY his laws
bachelors were pronounced Infamous, ex
{. cluded from all Offices, civil and military
: and even from the shows and public sports
I At certain feasts they were forced to appea
: for public contempt, and to sing songs il
their own derision.
In Great Britain, taxes have beeh REPEAT
edIy levied on the unmarried, as by the laV
o passed in 1896, in the seventh year OF tn
o reign or William III, which imposes Ia
Is on bachelors. after twenty. five years OF agt
of twelve and half pounds sterling for
y Duke, and one shilling for common pei
3. son; and the taxes laid on others have bee
Is increased in respect to bachelors, as in th
H. case of duty on servants, passed in the twei
er ty firh year OF the reign of George Ill.
s But really the California bachelors he,
vet no cause of complaint; for the propose
y law. if adopted. will not equal in rigor an
of those we have just mentioned. In fact,
l!e is not rigorous at all; for it does not impos
It. any penalties upon bachelors, but only a
". cords certain privileges to maf:ied men,
~ Fer the protection OF the married, and
d, others who endure heavy bnrthens, and pc
OIL haps, accidentally, as an inducement to una
- riage, it exercises the high legal prerogativ
E. of mercy, but does not extend to the adml
istration of Justice. which, in the opinion
the ancient law.givers, required the infiI
ng ton of severe punishment upon the obs
nate single. }. 80 jllu - IT.
ed If, as the bachelor writer Of the Bullet
seems to fear. the California Legislature
1t. tends to turn its attention'to the best mea
st. Of promoting marriage, it might be we'll
th the bachelors of the State to unite in r
mortal to that body, setting forth that t
'le growing extravaganza of young ladies'
TO- made marriage costly luxury, attainab
only by the rich; that the Celibacy Of your
men, therefore, is not perverse and volu
's' tary, or caused by disregard ofpubIlc dd
We but compulsory and necessary; and Il
we public policy and justice to young men
mand the passage Of a Inv, similar in en-
acter to the Maine liquor. law, prohibiting
ON sale of dry goods, except in limited guar
'h' ties to each purchaser in cases OF necess
ht' Such statement Of lamentable facts wo
Inc place the responsibility Of the alarming
na' crease bf celibacy where 1t rightly belor
by showing that the comparative povt
Nv and Hot the will OF Young America conse
to the drear loneliness Of single life.
ior OF4'he Mayor Of an English city ol
70 put forth an advertisement previous TO
Il Ist