Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-29
Il a Liz
POST . INTELLlGENCER,
SECRET MARRIAGES.

SECRET MARRIAGES.
The case of Sarah Althea Hill va. VIM.
Sharon. ex- United States Senator from
Nevada. ia which suit is brought oy
n,a;n,if for divorce and division OF
pronertv. has directed pablo attention
in that State and elsewhere TO the
rapidly increasing number 81 secret
marriages. Miss Hill seeks to establish
her marriage with defendant by al
allee. d marriage contract recipfocaiis
signed and dated some three years ago.
The document. if genuine, Is a valid
contract. and the parties thereto nave
heen since its execution husband ana
wife. It is denounced by defendant as
a forgery. and the Grand Jury have III
dicted Miss Hill for that oifense.
The Code of California provides
specific mode or modes in which mar
rage must be licensed. solemnized. au-
thenticated and recorded, but further
~,ore declares that Noncompliance
Herewith does not invalidate any law
I'm, MARRIAGE" Persons can marry
themselves without either priest or
license by jointly signing cerhfloate
setting forth the names, ages ana resi-
dsnces of the contracting parties. To-
gether with the fact of marriage and i's
date. and such contract Is neither VOID
mr. voidabIe. This form of marriage ID
aaopted by many who for various causes
desire to keep their union a secret, ana
has resulted in not few prominent law
snits. Marriage in law is the conjueal
nnion of a man and woman, and IS
usually accompanied with public de
claratioa Of the contract, either by
determination before clergyman or
some judicial officer empowered by law
for that purpose. Secret marriages are
nat beneficial to society. On the con
trary. they introduce An element %
aoubt and uncertainty into the marriage
relation which is prejudicial to its peace
and happiness. Our California con
temporaries are handling the subject
vigorously. A San Jose paper advocates
the abolishment Of contract marriages
and all other forms which permit
secresy and the substitution OF
a provision that any marriage not IL
eensed. solomized and recorded shall be
void ali initio. IL SAYS: 1.-The man
whose married life may have squared
with the very highest considerations OF
morality and marital fidelity may moi
have been always thus improbable
The Temporary associate of former
years, long abandoned and forgotten
may be able to prove those former reia
lions she may forge writing, or
signature, or both, and with mementoes
preserved for a sinister purpose, ma,
present herself before he is cold IN his
grave to claim his estate. degrade I'M
widow and bastardize his children. II
il not the unmarried or protiigate alone
that are endangered by these pOsslbil
ties. Against forged papers and fabri
Gated testimony none are secure. As
means for sxtortion and matchmaking
for bringing shame and disgrace upor
wives AMI children, for destroying thu
peace of families and disturbing tn,
welfare of society, the marriage con
tract now recognized by our Code is ;
perfect Pandora's box of perniciou
possibilities The San Francisco IN
somewhat more cOnservatively com
ments as follows: tits easy to see VIII,
the restrictions once placed Oh marriage
requiring its publicity and its solemniza
ton by authorized parties, have beef
relaxed. Great elasticity has been Civ
on to the marriage law through fear o
promoting immortality. Parties are in
vited to enter the marriage bond in an,
manner agreeable to themselves, rathe
than live together outside of it. Bu
while this purpose is commendabl
one, the law must not be strained 81
far in this direction AZ to do an injus
tioe to the rest of society great enough
to outweigh the Importance of making
legal marital relations so liberal tina
those most careless of moral obligation
will have no temptation to assume sue
relations Illegally. In other words. SC
oiety should DO charitable to those VIII
are indisposed to live up to n stric
code, but its liberality should rot lea
it into doing injustice to a more deser,
ing class. Justice must take precedenc
of generosity. II secret marriages al
likely to become SO numerous ~ to i'm
peril the happiness of many innocen
parties, some remedy must be found 70
the evil. Possibly II might be the RICH
thing to abolish the secret contrac
marriage, and make the concealment o
any marriage punishable otfenot
Secret marriages should also be mad
voidable, under certain conditions.
is problem for lawyers and for la,
men, but something must be done (
prevent the mischief now caused by tn
ooncealment Of those marriages whic
the good Of society requires should b
public"
We quoted from the most prsminer
and authoritative Democratic week.
paper in the United States few day
ago some expressions which indicate
the attitude of that party toward civ
service reform. Here is another extrac
frola its issue Of November 10th. liz
fnrrinQ To the infars.sf ananiiasfad IA