The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-12-25
EeST0N'S CHILD BRIDES.
,.onishing Condition of Mas
ohusetts Marriage Laws.
-cd with Gretna Green tho "City
wv r.,,,ure" Is Regarded rs Away
nehind on Matrimonial
Restrictions.

Restrictions.
~. many people know that it is
hv w, IN Massachusetts, for a little
Wv twelve to become bride? Who
"a believe at first thought that
wv WV little girls in short dresses have
~ legally married here in Boston,
gal during the past year, and that
law. even in the hands of thought
and responsible officials, was pow
,.ss TO prevent it? According to a
.,sion which has never been re-
cod. SAYS the Boston Transcript, "a
..r;ape between two infants above
! age of twelve in females and four
W IN males is valid without the con-
NJ of their parents or guardians. not
Outstanding the statutes which pro-
M magistrates or ministers. under a
ra,ty. from solemnizing the mar
.ce of female under the age of
sixteen or u male under the age
tventy-one without the consent Of
rents or guardians" The theory of
dection which makes the consent
parents or guardians necessary is
,lly very flimsy protection for the
rng and ignorant foreign girls who
frequently sold into marriage at
,der age here in Boston by parents
no are not sufficiently responsible for
state to permit them this privilege
disposing of their daughters before
eighteenth birthday, when a girl
Massachusetts, is of age.
Italians, Hebrews, Poles, Syrians,
abs of the most ignorant classes,
4, unable to sign their names in
cir own language and not under
knding question asked of them, APP
rim the city registrars office seek
licenses to marry girls who are to
.uothers of the next generation of
American citizens. During a re-
ut week three men came to the reg
rars Office for marriage licenses who
ne sixteen years or less as the
sOf the bride. In each case they
he told to bring the girl, and in
e Of the cases the fact that the girl
rs sixteen and had her guardians
nsent to her marriage was estab-
he'd through a trusted interpreter.
bis often happens when inquiry is
stituted. More than a score of cases
I've been refused outright, but in the
sssof business in the registrars Office
Is not easy to keep up a philanthropic
vestigating bureau and also fulfill
|e laws of Massachusetts, which
BIKES the marriage of children easy in
|e extreme. "Talk about Gretna
Feen" says the city registrar, "it was
Rcult to get married in Gretna Green
impaired with this city. Gretna Green
as hedged about and hard in compar-
pn with Boston. The laws as they
Rnd now here would do very we'll for
country town where everybody knew
|erybody else, but for a city with a
reign population like ours-well,
Oughtful people simply have no idea
what is going on in this matter.
by girl of twelve or over. and any
y Of fourteen, may be married with
nsent, and the marriage is legal
thout consent if any clergyman or
stce of the peace can be prevailed
en to perform the ceremony, whether
y have a license or not"
The records of this year show fifty
zen marriages of girls of seventeen
less; three of these were fifteen, and
child Of fourteen. She was in
grammar school and wore short
uses. When her teacher sent to see
Y she did not come to school it
med to her impossible to believe
y she was married. Her parents
consented! The state of Massachu-
~ as represented by its officials was
pless to look after the welfare of
citizens. OF course change in the
raising the age when n girl can
WY to eighteen years would also
We the age of her possible husband
wenty-one years. But as matter
net boys seldom apply for the re-
disabilities of the head of house
% before that age. The bride
0oms of the little married girls OF
ssachusetts are usually men double
wage, Boston women have spent a
20 deal Of thought and time and
saey for the child widows. of India.
fe is room for a good deal Of en-
.'or In behalf of the child brides OF
'ssachusetts.