St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-30
SHOULD YOUNG MEN MARRY ?

WIS ~ Ut tS CSSCulttl W liiO
well being of society and the best devel-
opment of the higher nature. Pessi-
mism has found some of its support ill
the assumed growing indiSpoSition TO
marry. On the other hand, some insist
that there should be restrictions, and
only those allowed to become family
people who have in hand, OF in sight,
the means to support family and free
dom from diseases that may be trans
mitted 10 posterity. In England it is
found that there is of recent years
marked increase in the marriage rate.
In some of the agricultural districts this
is from 20 to so per cent. The increase
is notable in the cities, but it is
not so marked. The subject is re-
ceiving wide attention. in view of the
startling position recently taken by the
lord bishop Of Bedford, that There
should and must be check to mar
riage." He presents an elaborate paper
on the subject, containing an array of
figures and statistics. The deformed,
cripples, those OF feeble constitution
and tainted with hereditary infrm
tiles, and the paupers he would debar-
from matrimony for obvious reasons.
But he would have the state go beyond
these, and hold away from connubial
felicity or misery the young men who
have their future all before them, in a
financial way. The permission to marry
lie would have withheld from those un-
able to show that they have reason
able assurance of comfortable and
respectable support for wife.
About 60 per cent of the young
men of London, he insists, marry with
out the reasonable outlook required by
this theory of the bishop. 1t would fol-
low, then, that more than one-half of
those who do enter the married state in
London ought to be denied the legal
opportunity. 1t would be of interest to
follow the argument of the bishop so
far as he supports it with statistics, for
the light it throws upon the situation of
q very large class of young men in the
cities, and the suggestion afforded to
the corresponding element in this coun-
try. The London correspondent of the
New York Journal condenseS the main
part Of the data in this statement:
Take the junior clerks in London oil ces
and warehouses, of which there are $50, 600.
Their average pay reaches about II shilings
say So 30 week. Sometime a young man
remains in his subordinate position until he
is thirty without exceeding 81 lus. say
| S5.25, week. Ali this time he has had to
| live in lodgings. paying ANYWHERE from to
| 10 shillngs 4 week for his room brea kfast
| and supper and Sunday board, and pay ing
to shillings week for his meals in the city
at midday. He has had TO pay extra for his
car fares, washing. etc. Then he must always
be well dressed, and MS clothing bill foots up
about three ShlllIngS q week
After many years he finds he can do better.
or thinks he can do better. by marrying. So
he draws Two balauce sheets to convince him
self that he would be certainly better off
double" than single. His bachelor account
stands thus:
Room and partial board So 90
Dinners in toWn............ ............ l %
Car fares and washing. e. ..... rs
Total $500. .........-..-."...S4 70
Total income. 49,. %
Balance. e.. so SO
This balance has been carfully carried for
ward from week TO week until he has been
able to secure suit of furniture for two or
three rooms. ard this is the capital on which
he ventures into the realms of welded bliss.
Then he makes his second balance sheet:
Rent of rooms per week.. .........Sl 90
Food for two, per week. ....-.......... 9 SO
Clothing for two per week .......... l %
IOtal % 30
Total income NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. %
When this young man tries the experiment
of matrimoGy he finds that he is sailing very
close to the wind. He has nothing with
which to meet eXigencles, the erriyal of his
children, doctors fees and the many ex
penses incidental to an increas e in the family.
WE'LL deficit accumulates faster than any
extra funds he can earn with which 10 meet
1t. Debts become oppressive. Dunning be-
comes Intolerable; and sooner or later he
has 10 be lifted out of his difficulties by
friends or charitable institutions.
The interest of the state in prevent
ing the marriage among this class of
young men is found in the claim that
the ranks of the criminals and paupers
are largely supplied from this quarter.
'Poorhouses,' he says, ARE filed with the
wrecks of marriages begun in haste and
ended i'll crime and wretchedness. Prisons
are crowded with young men who have
robbed employers to keep up false appear
ance in Wedlock."
The earnings of this class of young
men are inadequate bee ause there are
too many of them. The law of demand
and supply is operative with them, as
with other classes Of employment. In
his country the supply is not so ex-
ceSsivc and the remuneration is some
what better, but not enough so to allow
of marriage under the promise the
bishop would exact. If the state has
right to enter this domain of personal
| privilege and prevent young men from
| marrying because provision for the sub
sistence of the family does not appear to
be assured, vast change in the social
economy might be effected. Thousands
of young men in cities marry when the
surplus of income over expenditure
must be exceedingly scant. but their
chances for Improvement in the future
are considerably better than with the
class indicated in London. The young
man who has domestic incentive to
| economy, prudence and correct living is
far more likely to make something of
life.
A GROWING THEORY.