The morning call., 1893-04-10
THE DECLINE OF MARRIAGE.

Statistics accumulate showing the de-
crease in the marriage rate all over the
world. Oar own vital statistics are so i'm
perfectly kept-there being only six States
which make pretenslon of collecting them
regularly-that we are unable to say at
what rate the celebrating of matrimony is
decreasing; that it is decreasing the seanty
figures which we have only show too
plainly. In all the European countries, the
birth rate, which is simply the marriage
rate in another form. appears to be falling
off year by year. In the last fifteen years
it has declined from % per 1000 to 21.S in
France. in England from 347 TO 306, in
Germany from 3S.9 to 36.6. in Belgium from
3l.4 10 800 1t will be remembered that
these fifteen years were years OF peace and
general prosperity; the supply of available
male candidates for matrinony was not re-
duced by the ravages of war, nor was the
disposition Of men to assume the RESPONSE
bility Of family chilled by poverty. The
phenomenon before us must be due to other
causes.
That it Is worth while to search for these
causes is evident from a study of the con-
sequences which will supervene il the
present importantly Of marriage continues.
French and English writers on the subject
say LHdb lUdEEiHGtS nave DRGn 0iScOnTdEeQ
by the heavy fees imposed by Govern
ment on the celebration of matrimonial
unions. Some years ago the attention of
the British Government was drawn to the
low marriage rate prevalent in parts of
Wales. A commission was appointed to
investigate. 1t reported that the peasantry
were unable to pay the fees which the
clergy exacted before they would solemnIze
marriages, ana a change In the law ensued
In France the Chamber has for some years
had similar reform under consideration,
though. in this case. it is the State and not
the church whose exactions make marriage
luxury. In this country the cost of a
license. and the fee to the magistrate or
priest amount TO so small a sum that mar
rage Is within the scope Of the poorest,
No man need deny himself a wife by reason
of the expense of getting her. And yet.
here, as In Europe, marriages are deereas-
ing. If any one will count the number Of
available bachelors he knows, and compare
it with the number of those who marry in a
twelvemonth he will be surprised to find
how few young men avail themselves of
their opportunities to become fathers of
families
The evolution of celibaey is less marked
on this coast than in the East because there
is heTe-taking the coastaltogether-a slight
predOminance of males over females. But
even here the proportion Of girls who are
admirably fitted TO be wives and mothers is
unduly large in proportion TO those who
enter the conjugal state. The cause is prob
ably two-fold; FIRST, our girls concentrate
an undue share OF their energy on the
cultivation Of faculties which. however
valuable, do not increase their fitness to be
wives and mothers; and secondly, the
march of5 modern Improvement makes
bachelor life so delightful that young men
are reluctant to exchange 1t for matrimony.
tax on bachelorhood would probably be
unconstitutional. and it would not be FEAST
Die to close clubs and other resorts of
celibates by statute.
The practical lesson which statistics teach
is that young women should not look for
ward TO matrim0ny as the exclusive road to
happiness, but that they should boldly look
the situation in the face and should prepare
to engage in the battle of life ON the same
footing as their brothers, with the purpose
OF remaining single unless the ideal of their
aspirations should happen to make them an
offer. Girls should be educated TO regard
marriage as boys do-a good thing If It
comes In the right way. with the right man