The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1892-10-07
The Bee Buzz.

The bee which buzZes under this head
is after honey, and does not mean to sting
anybody. The field is the world and
there is room and liberty for every kind
of creature that has hum. There is no
intention whatever to stir up the wasps,
nor hornets, nor humble bees. Mere per-
sonalities are no part of the writer's plan
and will have no place here, except in
self defence of opinions misrepresented
or challenged in way to call for future
statement. The writer deals with prin-
ciples and not persons. The habit of gen.
eralizing has its dangers and every rule
may have exceptions; and if others wish
to devote themselves to the particulars
there is no quarrel here. liz some partic-
ular example which sets the bee buzzing
happens to be referred to, name, place
and circumstances not mentioned and all
unknown to the writer, it seems pity to
go to the general public with personal
details of the whole matter. Besides, it
suggests the saying that the bird which
fiutters has been hit. The Buzzer has
been writing and talking of loye and
marriage for more than 25 years and it is
an open subject still, notwithstanding the
last remarkable symposium in the BEE.
Othello's occupation would be gone
with some men, could they not get fling
at ''divines." They may nave respect
for the lawyer, if they have ever had
case in court. They may trust in the
doctor, if they have ever had any serious
illness. They will perhaps value the
opinion of the cobbler, if he does not
charge too much for mending their shoes;
but when it comes to the minister, they
draw the line there. Every man for his
trade until you come to the questions of
the moral and religious life and the prob
lem of eternal destiny, but, when we
come to the expounding of the Holy
Scriptures and setting forth any matter
of social ethics, then one mans opinion
is as good as another, if not better. The
clergyman may have spent the best of
life time in study of the subject; he may
have personally known thousand famil-
les and carefully noted many cases; but.
| because he is ''divine," his opinions are
of little weight beside those of disso-
lutte English poet or the theories of an
everyday subject of love and marriage.
The writer, many years ago, got some
subject aha IS. Fowler's works ON the
are ''too physically eGpre~is why they
If it is really as bad as Jay Tyrrell
says it is, it is indeed very discouraging.
But, for all that, 1 should be very sorry
to have my childrdn even entertain the
idea that it is nobody's business, when,
where and how they may take the no
, tion to marry. We don't suppose that
q he really means as much as his language
e seems to imply. We have no reason to
doubt that the particular case referred to
is all right; indeed, we had inferred that
it might be an example worthy of spec
ial notice, for several reasons. But even
children ought to understand that mar
= riage is not and cannot be made strict
It ly private arrangement for their mere
J, personal convenience and entertainment
/. Minors have no right to marry without
| consent of their parents; the minister
y has no right to pronounce them married
), without the written consent OF their par
ents or guardians. Minors or not, par
ties have no legal nor moral right to liv'
'r together in wedloek, except in accordance
l. with the regulations of the State, what
ever their sentiment On the subject. tn
p experience of mankind, everywhere ant
always, has proved the necessity of mar
rage laws and usages. The State ma
D. nothing to do with the poetic nor spirit
le uaI side of the matter. The parties mus
j. settle that for themselves; but that it i
IL matter of good common sense for soci
. ETY. to protect itself against the abuses
the sexual instinct, the civilized world
a pretty generally agreed. 'Better lay
IS without love than love without law,
embodies the wisdom of universal huma
VI history. Free love violates and col
ih POUNDS every law of the universe and II
ins society. The law of the State is pra'
tical. Bad marriages make bad familit
and poor citizens, and lead to domest
d. troubles and public expenses. The Ste
of would prevent crimes and pauperism, q
ly voree and Iitigations, and preserve, if po
III sfble, that social purity and domest
n peace which tends to the prosperity
he the body polite. Four hundred divorc
"a on an average each year in this Sta
IL means great deal of trouble and
er- pense which the people have to meet,
N. say nothing of the degrading infiuen
i'd. upon civil life at large and, therefore,
~, conclude that it is everybody's busines
on to great extent, that people who mar
IN. are legally and properly married.
rse some parts of this country, there is
nc divorce to every five marriages. 1t
ng mainly due to the fact that ignorant a
en-, immature youth believe that pernicio
on doctrine that it is nobody's business
lly their own.
he For one, / am thankful for the go
nd example of the Roman Catholic chur
ate which publishes the banns, sanctifies
we bond with sacrament in the presence
in the congregation and does not encoura
his the court of diyorce.-[0. o. Wright.
ms
ice GAINESVILLE.
as William Murphy has visited in Di