Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-10-28

| servance of this or that precaution will
add to the measure either of the JOY or
| sorrow of the newly married.
Marriage was not always the voluntary
proceeding we now find it. It was com
pulsory among the Greeks. The Spartans
would not tolerate celibacy, and by the
laws of Lycurgus criminal proceedings
could be taken against those who mar
ried too late or unsuitably, as well as
against those who did not marry at all
1t went hard with the latter. Should any
man remain single beyond certain age
he was publicly scorned, and was made
to do penace by walking naked in the
winter through the market-place, singin G
satirical song on himself. In the
French settlement of Canada women
were sent over after the men, and the
single men, that they might be forced to
marry, were subjected to heavy taxation
and to restrictions of their trade and
movements generally. Those who mar
ried were dealt with, on the other hand,
in generous spirit. Not only were hey
provided with good wife and comfort
able home, but they were rewarded by the
number of their offspring. The father of
ten children was pensioned for life at the
rate Of 300 Iivres year. If he had
twelve children the allowance was in
creased to 400 liyres, and it went up 70
1,200 liYres when fifteen children blessed
the union. The conditions were reversed
in the English colonies, for there the set
tiers eagerly welcomed the other sex, and
did not hesitate to pay traders heavily in
tobacco weight for every manageable
woman they b Fought over. As far back,
however, as 1865 the local authorities of
Eastman, Massachusetts,, voted that every
unmarried man in the township should
kill six blackbirds or three crows yearly
while he remained single, producing the
scalps as proof, and as a penalty for not
obeying the order he was forbidden to
marry until he had made up all arrears
The requirements in this case were almost
nominal; but it was not SO in Maryland
where, half century late, the colonial as
sembly imposed tax of 5 shillings year
ly upon all bachelors above thirty five
years of age land on widowers without
children) who were possessed OF e3O0.
There was similar graduated tax on bach
elors in England in the reign of William
III. Any cOmmoner who was a bache-
lot at % had to pay a shilling fine yearly,
and the amount was increased in accord
ance with rank or title, any ducal offend
or being taxed TO the extent of e12 10
shillings yearly. The taxes grew heavier
before they were removed, and the time
came when bachelors were called upon
to pay an extra tax on their servants.
Thus we see the old states as well as young
ones have found cut that their prosperity
depends upon its married citizens. The
best subjects as Lord Bacon points out,
arc those in This reI atioDch1r tho raocon
he gives for the conclusion, being that sin
gle men are slight to run away" while she
that hath wife and children hath given
hostages to fortune" It is true that my
Lord VerUlem declares at the same time
that the unmarried man show most enter
prise either in a good or bad direction,
but we have an Offset to this in John Tay-
lor's moralizing on the subject namely
that "a married man falling into misfor-
tune is more apt to retrieve his situation
in the world than single one"