Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-07-09
The Promotion Of Matrim0ny.


Matrimonial brokerage. until within
the last few years. has been principally
confined to maneuvering mammas, de-
signing apas, artful daughters, anlbl-
tious sons, and intermedding relatives.
But these methods proved too slow for
this fast age, and Of Ete years special
journals have sprung up In all parts OF
the country which undertake to furnish
darlings for Old men, protectors for the
love-lorn widow, fathers for the orphans,
slaves for the young men, and W yes
and husbands for every one. We call
to mind periodical once started IN
Chicago with q prospectus of this sort:
"There is superabundanCe of men
in the West and corresponding ratio
Of women in the Eastern States, and
the purpose of this journal is to enable
the stranger in one state to commune
and interchange sentiments freely and
without restraint with his sister in an
other state, thereby creating a bond Of
miles away"
Without stopping to discuss whether
this en.erprislng journal succeeded III
marrying OF the 'superabundance of
men in the West to the Correspond
ing ratio of women" in the East nor to
recount its efforts TO create "bond of
union" between persons thousands OF
miles apart, it may be Interesting to
note a more sensible movement, look
ing toward the promotion OF marriage,
which We learn had its origin in Cuncln-
rati. This organization does not under
take to marry off All sorts os matrimo-
NAL candidates, young and old, rich
and poor, handsome and ugly, virtuous
and vicious, at the rate of 80 cents per
head, but it seeks rather to assist young
couples in marrying, and aims To
give them start in life. The
preamble of the constitution sets
forth the facts that both divine and
common law favor and encourage the
sacred rite tor marriage. That the
members of the organization have
viewed with alarm and the deepest CON
Germ the rapidly growing tendency of
the people of this country particularly
those living in the larger clties) to re-
main unmarried, a condition unnatural
and prejud cial to the welfare, success,
and happiness of the country; and It is
with view of correcting tnis evil the
society is organized. The aim of this
society, according to the constitution,
is 9 in all honorable ways to promote
the marriage of citizens, and to secure
such an end this society will so far as
in its power, assist and give material
aid to young couples in beginning mar
cd In "a, n
homes, and the husbands in getting
employment, or in any other manner
within the province of the association"
The Cincinnati Commercial states that
the first year tie main object, next to
seeing that couples were married, was
to quietly solicit citizens from all over
the city to become members Of the as
ISOLATION, by which they would give
Their influence to the wor,-. The So
ciety has been in operation nearly two
years, and has o5er 1000 members,
and branches in over forty cities in the
country. The working of the as
ISOLATION was at first kept private,
but, now its success is fully as
sured, the facts are given to the
press. On the 10th of next August
there will be grand picnic at Inwood
Park, Cincinnati, upon which occasion
over one hundred couples will be pub
licly joined in marriage, as an evidence
of the Influence and successful workings
of the association.
The institution of marriage rests at
the foundation of modern christian CIV
ilization, and whatever is aimed at its
promotion promotes also the welfare of
the state; while on the other hand,
whatever tends to weaken it under
mines the state. 1t is painful fact to
note the decrease in marriages in the
United States. This decrease may be
in part attributed to the fact that the
young men of the day are not disposed
TO accept the responsibilities of matri-
mony, and in part to an indlscriminate
granting of divorces, which indicates
prevailing moral laxity. Take the state
Of Massachusetts, for Instance, and we
find that the courts of that state during
the last nineteen years have granted T.
223 absolute divorces, and that more
than half of this number were given
within the last seven years. Toe fol-
lowing tabulated statement, covering
the last ten years, is of great interest in
this connection
Ratio of di-
No. ofci. No. ofmar- yorce TO
Year yorets. riages. marriage.