The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-05-30
ABOUT TIL PARSON.

THE GLOBE has been freely criticised
because it had the manliness to say that
s1cb a creature as A. A. BUTLER has no
moral right to i~mpersonate a minister.
We hold that those who occupy the pull
nit and who preach the word of COP,
should, at all times and under all circum-
stances, tell the truth. Under the law
the man who wilfully subscribes to a
falsehood-utters a false oath in such a
case-is, according to some Durham law
yers, guilty of perjury. The News and
Observer of yesterday says:
It was learned yesterday that the Dur
ham runaways, REV. MR.. BUTLER and
Miss ANNIE CHRISTIAN, who eloped a
few nights since from Durham, came to
| Raleigh and secured marriage license
here, as they could not get it at Durham.
MR.. WILLARD NAL, register of deeds,
saws that Mr.. ALBERT HOLLOWAY first
came to his office and applied for license,
but he could not subscribe to the oath
specifying among other things that the
young lady was IS years of age, which IS
the lawful requirement for the marital
contract in this state. REV. Mr.. BUTLER
| afterwards came to MR.. MAILS office and
signed the sworn statement in full and
the license was thereupon issued.
THE GLOBE does not know whether
| BUTLER swore to the business or not
The News and Observer says the regis
ter of deeds of Wake county states that
he did. The oath is as follows:
G being duly sworn, says: That
the parties applying for license are of
lawful age-and so far as he is informed
and believes there is no lawful cause or
impeachment f~orbidding said marriage"
Now the question is has the News and
Observer got the story straight? If so,
Mr.. BUTLER has put his foot very deeply
into the mire.
If BUTLER just procured the license
by making 3 false statement and did no
swearing, then this law of 1885, ratified
March II, 1885, chapter 346, will catch
him for some fun. 1t reads: "Any per
son who shall obtain a marriage license
for the marriage of a person under law
full age, by misrepresentation or false
p~retenses, shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanOr, and upon conviction shall
for each offense be fined not exceeding
$50, or Imprisonment not exceeding 30
days, or both, in the discretion of the
court"
SO by this it would appear that in any
light the alleged sanctifed PARsON has
violated the law of the land, and did it
too, with full knowledge.
Some say that the oath is merely a
matter of form. But that is not true.
The acts of 1887, chapter 331, authorize
the register of deeds TO administer the
oath when he has any doubt concerning
the matter.
On top of this JUDGE MERRIMON, Of
the supreme court, has held that the law
is constitutional and wise.
We candidly submit to every honest
parent, if Buffers conduct is whar
should be expected from a minister anc
if it is right for him to violate the law
why should we have laws? The ides
that a parson can do no wrong is the
veriest rot.
Buffers license should be taken from
him, or he should be indicted, if The News
and Observer is not mistaken.
THE KELLEY CURE.
The News and Observer says w
publish this morning an extended re
sumo of the work of the Kelley insti
tute, of Greensboro, u special reporter