Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-25
Will BLAINE STAND UP AGAIN?
The "sentinel" Asks Him a Few More
Pertinent Questions.

Pertinent Questions.
The Sentinel scouts Blaine's entire
story, ssye an Indianapolis special. The
important point il makes is as follows:
s.Mr. Blaine used in his letter to Mr..
Phelps the stereotyped phrase, Married
in the sight o. GOd,' terms which have
been used by every seducer in civilized
life. We have only pity for the
yictim-nO words of reprOach for her.
We repeat that the most charit-
able view of this Kentucky marriage
story is to hold that Blaine has only in
vented it for his present political pur-
poses. but whether we would so or not we
are compelled to the conclusion that no
such marriage ever occurred. In the first
place, nnder the laws of that common
wealth there could have been none such.
The statutes Of Kentucky provided in
1856 and have provided ever since against
il. We quote from the laws upon mar
riages:
SECTION l. Marriage is prohibited and
declared void when not solemnized or con-
tracted IN the presence Of an authorized per-
son or society. --,.-....-.,
$50. l3. Marriages shall be solemnized
bv the following persons only:
- First. Ministers Of the Gospel or priests
Of any denomination in regular communion
with anv religious society.
. second. Judges OF the County Court and
such Justices of the Peace as the County Court
. SIC. O. No m mister or priest shall solemn
ize marriage until he has obtained license
therefor frOYn the County Court OF the county
where he resides, uDOn satisfying the c0uT5 l
that he is a man Of good moral character aEG
in regular communion with his relglons
society, and upon giving covenant 10 the
commonwealth with good surety not 10 Vlolate
the law OF the State concerning marriage.
The parties to such covenant may Tor Dreacn
thereof be fined on presentment OF grahu
iurv not exceeding $1,000.
10 s.tSEC lG No marriage shall be solemnlzeu
without a license therefor issued by the CIerK
of the County Court. Ii shalI only issue lIoIl
the clerk OF the county where the IeInale usu
ally resides.
=: SEC. a. If any person shalls olemnize
marriage without such license or without De-
ing authorized thereto by County Court, ne
shall be imprisoned not less than one nor more
than twelve months and fined not more than
$1,000.
SEC. 10. If any person not authorized
shall soIemniZe a marriage under pretense OF
having authority he shall be confined IN the
penItentiary not exceeding three years.
s'Such were the laws of Kentucky when,
in June 1850, Mr.. Blaine says he had
what l know was in my native State OF
PENNSYLVANIA a perfectly legal form of
marriage Does Mr.. Blaine mean to say
that in Pennsylvania no minister, priest
or officer of law Is requisite to the per-
fOrmance of marriageY VINO vas the MN
ister, priest, or Justice of the Peace at
Georgetown to subject himself 10 fine, I'M
prisonment or penitsntiary by-wIthout a
iicense-perfOrming the ceremony for him
Was there any person authorized to sol
emnize marriage who would not have told
Mr.. Blaine (supposing the brilliant Major
and learned professor to have been igno-
rant of it, that a marriage without il
eense was, db iRitiO, VOID? But is it
not doing violence to Mr.. Blaine's ac-
knovIedged intelligence, even from boy
hood, to suppose that he was uniformed
ON so simple proposition that either a
license, a minister or an officer was essen
tiaI IN LEGAL matyimOny 2"