Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1884-03-21

State IA favor OF low license for MARI
age was naale 10y DR.. Wilmer in a reso
luton offered aud adopted in a Republi
can Convention held in Port rob,cco r
'73. We believe further we have nal
the journals) that in the Legislature fol
lowing that Convention a bill was Offered
by Mr.. Daniel Hlwkins, Republican
delegate from Charles County. to reduc,
the marriage license fee To fifty five cents
This proposition was received as a hug.
Joke, and the author of the bill va.
laughed ont Of the Hall" so to sneak
1t tickled the immaginations of biz
fellow-members hardly less than the
original resolution by Dr.. Wilmer Iii
the learned gentleman who then edited
the Times. 1t so happens that the All.
tation Of the mater is again du, to a
Republican, Senator Moore Of Mont.
gomerY, aud it is very ereditable to the
Observation-Disclosures ofthe majority of our
people that the question is now consider.
ed by the legislature without reference
to the political faith of those who mo.
posed it, on the broad grounds Of the
unreasonableness and injustice of 50
high tax, to say nothing of its unoon,
stitutionahty. aud Of the morality and
general well-being of the poorer classes.
1t goes without saying that Court of
Record is a better place to have records
II marriages made and preserved than
any church. The Clerk Of the Court is
amenable to the law, while the priest or
minister is, in such matters, law nnto
himself Besides, We are informed that
in some denominations, besides Qnakers
such thing as publishing bansp is
not known in their ritual, il we may 50
call their style of worship. OF course there
is no reason why such non -conformists
sh ould not have little ritual for tha
purpose at least, and if the members
not uaurS ply = f.oo Or 90 30 tis~
married, they are undoubtedly blame
worthy in not formulating ore without
delay
But we must not overlook the fact that
marriage is a thing about which people
generally feel some moiesty, especially
young and uusophisticated people. Of
course wealthy GU and hardened old sin
ners like our friends over the way and
ourselves, for instance, would have no
difficulty on this score, as in the first
place we could easily afford the license
fee, or, if we chose to take $3.50 worth
more of fun on our welding trip We
world feel no false molesty in having
our names and those Of our fair lady
loves blazoned abroad from the pulpit
ION three several sundays" Ii is a
fact, however, as we have said, that
most people are not so thick skinned.
and we can read ly understand how
man would avoid such an open dec araton
Of poverty, and how modest maiden
would shrink from this publicity,
1t is all very well to say that if man
cannot afford to pay his license fee he
has no business to marry, but man does
not need to have so much money when
he proposes to marry that 81 90 will 90
for nothing There is hardly young
man in Southern Maryland, to speak
seriously, to whom this $500 would not
be most acceptable, after marriage in
procuring some necessary article of fur
niture or in helping to Gil his little larler.
1t is the policy of all civilized States
to foster and encourage matrimonv no;
only with reference tothe laws of descent
and Inheritance, but because this rela.
ton tends to promote morality and
virtue among adults, and secures. to =
greater degree, the protection Of cbT
dren, A high marriage tax is re.
strlction upon matrimony, hence the tax
should be made so low that the poorest
citizen can pay it without serious incop
venicnce to himself.
We are fire. to say that a reduction If
the marriage tax would be'of largar
benefit to colored people than to others
on account Of the more general poverty
among Thorn; but this should be- tbo
strongest sort of argument in favor os
its abolition or reduction, 1t would no
well that people who have througb
many generations. been led by their sn
periors, as well as Byinclination, in soma
cases, to place no value upon marriage
who have, in many eases, been made -
herd and submit like dumb-iriven cattle
and dogs, should now be enabled to
bind themselves one to the other by the
sacred sic Of matriraony by the same
method aud with the same saving Of
their modcsty as their "egen christian .