New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-04
ASCENDING BRIDEGROOMS.


We observed with increasing pain during the
month Of September that no less than twenty-one
bridegrooms, in various parts of this country,
failed 10 appeay at their weddings. The num-
Der is unprecedented for o single month. There
are always certain number Of faint-hearted
men, though never any women, who cannot bring
themselves to face the ordeal but before, we sus-
pect, never above five or six a month on an
average. We do not pretend to be able TO ex-
plain the sudden increase in such cnses in Sep
TENDER, though we hope that we fully realize
its gravity and we observe with continued alarm
that the month of October appears 10 be opening
with the same unsatisfactory state Of affairs.
OF course wedding cannot be success with
out bridegroom. The wedding presents are all
right in their way but they cannot altogether take
the place of the man clad in the conventional
black. Sometimes, doubtless, the presents are
really more valuable than the man, but 1t often
happens that when the bridegroom does not APP
pear some shrewd and penetrating guest
raises the cry Of bunco and each of the assembled
friends tuCks the present which he brought under
his arm and walks away with it, and thus both
husband and silverware are lost. When the
bride sees the last pickle castor going out the
front door she is apt to be cast down and to be-
wall her sad lot. The depression, too, frequently
extends to the minister. The departed bridegroom
seldom leaves fees behind him. But, after all, we
presume that there is no call for any argument
on our part to show that when wedding Is ar
ranged and the guests have arrived, it Is very
embarrassing for the family to find itself caught
short on bridegrooms and to he unable to carry
out the programme 1t will be more profitable, we
conceive, to examine some statistics In connec-
ton with the twenty-one failures to appear noted
in September.
The late census shows that in only about per
cent of marriages In this country has the man
been married previously; still in these twenty
one September instances no less than five of the
men were assuming the silken bonds for the
second time, one of them for the third time, and
one Ia Chicago mani for the fourth time. Thus
we have per cent Of men who have been mar
ried before in the weddings which are carried
out and 80 l-3 per cent Of experienced men among
the runaway bridegrooms. This comparison is
startling 1t cannot be that bis previous ex-
pcrience should make the widower over thirty
times more timid than the bachelor. Perish the
Thought Still there are the cold, hard, un-
compromising figures But cannot believe
them. No. never Will we believe such figures.
We will believe the figures in a Democratic cam
paiqn document before we will believe these
figures.
Though we may not be able TO find the reason
for the startling absence of bridegrooms during
September and the apparent permanency Of the
innovation as indicated by the returns so far in
October, we may at least consider some practical
way to obviate the evil. If bridegrooms are
going to refuse to come up and keep their APP
pointments Of their own accord, they must be
forced to keep them IN some way. Where 1t is
possible it would probably be well TO detail a
policeman to shadow the man in the case as soon
as the date Of the wedding is announced II
caught snealxing away he can be brought back
and liberated in the custody Of the brides mother,
unlesa indeed, the provision in the United States
Constitution concerning cruel and unusual punish
ments should make this impossible Where the
detail of police is not practicable the man might
be made to wear large badge from the time
Of the engagement until the wedding, plainly
marked with his name, date of his proposed
nuptials, and so forth, with heavy penalty
for removing the badge, and a liberal reward
to any person causing his arrest If detected leav
ing the county with or without his badge. But
in the case of o man who has been married before,
in view Of the foregoing figures Though we ut
terly refuse TO believe them, it would probably
be well to imprison him in the county jail three
months before his approaching wedding, and have
a special guard set over him night and day.