Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-11-04
ABOUT GETTING MARRIED.
1 Confusion of the Laws of the Various statSu on Matters Matrimonial.

Coufusion of the Laws of the Various Statss
 on Matters Matrimonial
 In no country in the world is the mar riage relation in such a legal tangle as in the United States, where each State
 makes laws of its own on the subject
 Some of the States are very severe upon the old custom of fbride-stealing-other are not The various States have vari- ous ages of consent when the bride can not be supposed'to be stolen. In Flori- da, Massachusetts, and Michigan the age of consent is sixteen years. In Florida the bridegroom who elopes with a bride under that age is fined not ex- ceeding S1, 000, and imprisoned not ex- ceeding year. In Massachusetts the same. Michigan puts the rash wooer in the penitentiary for a term not exceed ing three years South Carolina isstill severer. The minimum for striped jacket wearing is five years. In New Jersey-especially in the neigh hborhood of Princeton-a girl can not be legally stolen who is over fifteen. The quail ifoations of the celebrant vary in diff ferent States. In Vermont, Massachu- setts, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Missis- sippi and Nevada an ordained" minis ter may perform the rite. Tho Roman ists and Episcopalians deny than any minister is ordained, except by the inn position of the hands of their Bishops so their girls usually insist upon the of- foes of priest In Colorado any licensed minister has the authority. So also in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Texas and Wyoming. The New Jersey Legislature. we are grieved to say, gets its ecclesiastical nomenclature a little @ mixed-a stated and ordained minis ter" The Indiana Legislature has a protective tariff for the home in- dustry of marrying of Hoosier girls. The right is limited to minister residing within the State. The Illinois law. is that the oelebrant must be a minister in regular standing" Rhode Island is little State, but it is sensi- ble There a ruling elder may officiate; but, as there are not many ruling elders in that State, the rivalry between them and the teaching elders for marriage fees can not be said to be keen. But the dignity of the right to administer the rite is impaired by the fact that in some localities a notary public will do in Q pinch. The notaries in Florida and in the Feliciana parish in Louisi- ana have the authority. Possibly that is the reason why that particular parish is named Feliciana. In Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland none but or dained ministers are authorized. The noses of his Honors, even that of the Governor, are out of joint at we'd dings in those favored States But the preachers have to file bonds in the penal sum of $l, 800 each that they will do it in good style and according to law. In all the States marriage in the limits of lineal consanguinity, ascending or descending, is forbidden. and also within the limits of collateral consanguinity nearer than first cousins. First cousins are forbidden to marry within the boundaries of Arizona. Ar. kansas, Colorado. Dakota, Illinois, Indi. ana, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New and Wyoming. The question of the legality of marriages within the limits of relationship by affinity has long pro- voked debate-the cause of all of which trouble has come from neglect of the consideration of very plain and obvious principles. Marriage Sbetween two in
 stitutes conventional, not real, relation. ships between others, and between bh0uSoAN6S anu ObuorS. uoS0
 ships come into existence by the mar
 riage, and depend upon it for existence
 The obvious principle is that when the marriage ceases they cease. A mar is his wife's sisters brother-in
 law so long as his wife lives no longer. The marriage dis
 solved by death, all the collateral chains fastened upon that broken link fall with 1t The confusion of the laws of the various States on this subject is because there are no straight paths through the thicket and tangle of marriage-and will not be so long as human nature i: what it is. Society goes pumping and humping along the way, knocking its head first against one post of the old matrimonial coach, and then against the other. Parental dictation, if al lowed, runs to mercenariness. Youth
 full freedom runs to all sorts of sense lessness. But it is wonderful that SC little harm comes of matrimonial blum. dering. The sum total is one of fitness and happiness-more blessing than | cursing. Mankind testifies tn at the