Morning journal and courier., 1880-06-03
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MT. R. A. Proctor, the astronomer, finds time to do good deal of thinking and writ ing about other than astronomical subjects. His latest is an attack on the prevalent idea that it is proved that marriage is conducive to longevity and check upon crime and in sanity. Statistics, indeed seem, at first sight, to show that such is the case. It has been calculated that of 100000 single men, between the ages of 20 and 25, 1,231 die each year. whereas of the same number of married men or widowers only 626 die per annum. Among 100, 900 single men, between the ages of 25 and 30, 1 ,494 die each year, whereas only 823 married men or widowers die yearly among the same number. Between 30 and 35 the numbers are-For bachelors 1,594 for the married men (always including wid- owersEse5. Between 35 and 40, 1902 sin gle and 1, 167 married die yearly from among 100, GOO of each class between 40 and 45, ], ,S35 single and l, 4O7 married between 45 and 50 ?, 11S single and 1,7O4 married, and so on the married men always retaining the advantage as respects longevity, until the last quinquennial period tabulated, between 80 and s5 years-19, $40 old bachelors dying against 17,3SS married men from among 100, 900 between these years. It appears al- so, from French statistics chiefly, that mar ried men are less frequently charged with crime than bachelors, that unmarried women are much more criminal than married women, and that insanity also affects the single far more than the married.
 Mr. Proctor refuses to be convinced that these statistics are rightly applied, and points out that they can prove nothing as to the effect of marriage upon the death rate until it has been shown that there is no selective in fuence tending on the whole to bring the heart fer and stronger persons of both sexes into the marriage relation in greater numbers rela- lively than those feebler specimens of hu- manity who swell the death rate as stated above. He also says, with force and truth: Although there may be some mis- chief in promulgating the notion that the fee bier sort will find protection in marriage mischief to them and still more serious mis- chief to the world in the increase of the num- bers of weak and ailing mortals-this mis
 chief is not to be compared to that likely ot arise from encouraging the notion that the best cure for criminal tendencies is an early marriage, and that man with madness in his blood should hasten to the altar if he would remain sane. Even if the statistics
 proved what has been alleged, it would be the worst possible thing for the world, and
 would bring untold misery into families, thus to nurse and nourish the mad or criminal taint It is the interest of the world that as far as possible, and by all lawful means, those of criminal tendencies should be prevented from increasing and multiplying on the face of the earth. Madness too, with it's associa- 1 ted diseases, even if it could be checked in 1 the individual by marriage, would be repro duced in the offspring"
 Others besides Proctor, including Herbert | Spencer, are agreed that there is no sufficient
 reason to accept the interpretation usually i placed on such statistics as are quoted above,
 namely, that weakly person is likely to find l long life in marriage sick health, and
 those with criminal or insane tendencies safe 1 ty. From the point of view of modern sci 1 ence it would be better if such persons would not marry at all, but marrying and giving in l marriage will continue to have it's disadvan- 1 tages for a long time yet. Indeed, the out look is not very hopeful that men and women 1 will ever be much more sensible about mar rying than they are now. It is a matter I upon which the truth or falsity of the inter
 pretation of statistics has very little effect