The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-09-06
STATISTICS OF MARRIAGE.
How Match Making in Europe is Con-
Quoted.

The science Of statistics has been devel-
opcd to Sucila degree Of per!cr;iou i'll France
that accurate studies can be made in many
branches of sociology which, in this coun-
try, must be left to speculation OF to tllco-
riIing from imperfect material. \ member
of the Chamber of DeruiirS, Il. Louis Lee
grand has just Published an interesting
work, entitled Marriage and Manners in
France which overturns two widcly-ac-
ccptcd Geas-that the French arc not mar
rying people as compared with other ma
lions, and that the proportion OF marriages
to population is diminishing. The book
shows that the relative rank of European
countries, in respect to the number Of mar
riages per one Thousand inhabitants, is as
follows: Hungary, Russia, Germany, Aus
tria, France, England, Denmark, Holland,
Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Belgium, Scot
land, sweden, Greece. Evumania, Ireland.
|; thus appears that France is fifth on the
li>r, aud leads England one file. ChrapneSs
oi food has Il great deal to do with the mum
Der OF marriages, and accounts for the posi-
ton Of Hungary at he head OF the list In
that country the soil is Very fertile, and
grain and root crops are produced in great
abundance. y vicious land system, and
the consequent poverty of the peasant class,
put Ireland ut the foot Of the list. The low
rank of Scotland, Sweden and Greece may
he accounted for by the poverty of the soil
but in the case of Roumania, which lies
I,. ~: N, lo ,-,lle,-
son must he sought, and will probably be
found in degraded social conditions NJ
L-grand proves that the marriage rate in
stead of falling oil in France, is steadily in
crcaSing. Daring the first half Of the cen
tury the average annual rate was TO l2I
inhabitants: now Il is to 12i. In Paris,
where travellers, who see only the f,.vcrish,
unwlIUleSome life Of the boulcNardS the
cafes and the hotels generally suppose the
domestic relations to be Greatly neglected.
There are more marriages than in the pro
vinces, the rate being / to l0l inhabitants,
while in the country it is to 100. There is
also an increase i'll the average duration of
marriages. which has come up from TWEEN
ty-thrcc years and two months in 1921 to
twnnty-iour years and six months in 1861,
and To twenty-five years in lSIS-:l result
produced by the greater average longevity
OF the individual, which has been brought
about b, the advance Of civilization and of
medical science.
There is, however, another side to the pie
ture. With the steady increase in the num-
Der of marriages a corresponding decrease
has taken place i'll their truitiuness. At
the beginning of the century the average
number of children to each union was four:
now it is only three The birth rate is from
twenty -iive to twenty per one thousand,
and is lower than i'll any other country in
Europe. In the war year of l$1 it fell TO
twenty-five. The growing tendency to post
pone marriage until the means of support
fact that the average age at which French
men marry is thirty-two in Paris and thirty
in the country, and French women twenty
seven and twtnty-SiN. Ii statistics on this
point were available in this country it would
no doubt be found that the average age at
which marriages are contracted is much
lower than in France. Young people are
more ready here than there to rush blindly
into wcdock, trusting 10 good luck for the
material means to carry it through success
fally. This is only half explanation, how
ever. Young men III the United States do
not have to wait 50 long for opportunities to
get into business, rs III older countries.
Tn chances are that an industrious Ameri-
can is in Il better condition at twcnty-seven
to marry prudcntly than a Frenchman at
thirty-t.yo. BESIDES, there is more Of Scnti-
ment and less OF cxpeIiency in Inatcli-mak-
ing here than in France, and we hope there
always will lie.