The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-24
SEATTLE. SUNDAY. APRIL -.
MORE PArKKNALIsM.

The latest reformer is . New York
philosopher of German antecedents who
holds that all old bachelors over q certain
age should be taxed by the government to
force them to marry; that old maids
should get q pension from the state as
long as they need protection, the tax on
the bachelors going to maintain the old
maids.
Old bachelors were taxed under tho
Roman law, and were taxed in the Middle
Ages and in England as late as the reign
of William the Third, but any attempt by
legal pressure TO force man into the
married state would be as complete
failure as all forms of paternalism in
government have been hitherto, and
pensioning "old maids" would be an abb
surd substitute for that protection of
women by their male relatives which tends
to the cultivation of humane individu-
alism.
There Is q vast deal of cheap, vulgar wit
current concerning old bachelors, as gener-
ally selfish, heartless, dismal folk, COM
pared with men who have not endured
single blessedness. There is no more rea-
son why a single life should make brute,
a cynic, a sour. unfeeling creature of q
man than 1t does of . woman. Undoubt-
edly marriage Is the natural state of man
for many economic as well as spiritual
reasons that easily suggest themselves, but
because this is true a. a general maxim
60 <hn - . l.
other general maxims, often as much
honored in the breach as In the observ-
snce. Many admirable men and women
choose to lead single lives from high and
honorable motives.
Marriage and its consequences concern
society as well as the parties to the union.
and for this reason no man or woman Of
true moral feeling will knowingly nego-
tiate bad marriage. No man or woman,
cursed with serious constitutional in
trinity Of body or mind that makes
healthy, happy. sane children at best i'm
probable ought to marry. No man or
woman ought to marry from mean, base
motive. Marriage should start in love,
not in lust or mercenary purpose of any
sort. A loveless marriage is Q very SOL
emn kind Of moral fraud and legal lie, and
its disastrous consequences are not lin
tied to the offending party. Society and
the children also suffer when such mar
rage finally explodes in divorce, in deser-
ton, in adultery or murder.
There are men and women who having
deeply loved and lost have thenceforward
no heart for marriage; there are men like
Charles Lamb, who have not felt willing
TO abandon what seemed to them life of
duty to dependent parent or infirm SIS
ter for marriage, and they surely are not
the kind of persons whose future life is in
any danger of becoming cynical, sour or
non-sympathetic. All suffering and self
makes even naturally hard natures more
tender and sympathetic. They have tasted
of real spiritual sorrow and therefore COM
prehend another's woe.
An honest doubt of capacity to find hap
piness in marriage; an honest determine
ton not to assume the responsibilities of
marriage without reasonable prospect of
success. are good reasons for declining the
marriage state. There are many good rea-
sons that would influence an honest, sim
cere man or woman to decline matrimony
that would not have weight for a moment
with fool or n knave. No man or woman
who was naturally fitted to adorn
and illuminate the marriage state
was ever absolutely made by matrimony
or absolutely marred by ceiibacy. 1t is
quite as generally true that cold maids"
are excellent women, benevolent, kindly.
useful and sensible folk, as it is of mar
ried women, and if 1t is true of "old
maids" it is presumably true of old bach
elors as compared with married men.
II Is the motive that makes 8 life of
celibaey or OF marriage ennobling or the
reverse. II the motive which prompted
the marriage was high, pure and sincere
on both sides the marriage will ennoble
both parties. II the motive was mean,
vulgar or corrupt. the marriage will de-
grade and depreciate the lives of both
parties TO the fraud. If the motive be-
hind ceiibacy Is an honest aversion to A
loveless and mercenary marriage, or some
other motive equally manly and high. the
celibate Will never become a cynic, a rake
or selfish. unsympathetic man because
of his oel.hacy. Natural benevolence.
kindliness, good will and tenderness will
always find some outlet in such celibate
But if the motive which prompted cell.
bacy was mean. low and selfish, like n de-
sire to practice life of psrsimouy. or to
lead a life of selfish, low indulgence, dodv.
Ing ali domestic human cares and tria :
and sorrowful responsibilities, then, of
course, the celibate's ultimate develop
ment OF character will be as repulsive as
that of the married man who made mean
marriage. pledging q love he never felt,
marrying in lust or from dishonest, mer-
ecnary motives and repentiny at leisure.
The New York ''reformer," who desires
"a tax old bachelors and pension old
maids, has one good idea, as follows;
II women were kept by their parents, their
brothers or other relatives and did no, 80 10 work
Go become mems rivals, the young men would
succeed sooner. Women should be shielded SO
lar SIS possible from all the rough influences of
lite and be restrained within the sweet natural
bonds Of family lie, Women are worthy OF IT.
Tor the genuine woman is & piece of nature in
whose company the man may refresh aud re-