The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-01
DECLINE OF MARRIAGE.
Old Bachelors and Old Maids Are
Increasing in Numbers
The Phenomenon Is Apparent All Over
the World-Some Interesting Views
Accounting for This Strange
Development.

I Statistics accumulate showing the
decrease in the marriage rate all over
the world. Our own vital statistics
are SO imperfectly kept-there being
only six states which make a preten-
sion of collecting them regularly-that
we are unable to say at what rate the
celebrating of matrimony is decreas-
ing; that it is decreasing the scanty
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
| 25 per 1000 to 21.S in France, in Eng
land from 34.7 to 500, in Germany from
! $50 to $780, in Belgium from 81 4 to 30.6
! 1t will be remembered, says the San
! Francisco Call, that these fifteen years
| were years of peace and general pros
! perity, the supply of available candi-
| dates for matrimony was not reduced
| by the ravages of war, nor was the dis
| position 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 study of
the consequences which will supervene
If the present unpopularity of marriage
continues French and English writ
ers on the subject say that marriages
have been discouraged by the heavy
fees imposed by government 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. commission was appoint
ed to investigate. 1t reported that the
peasantry were unable to pay the fees
which the clergy exacted before they
would solemnize marriages, and
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
rot the church whose exactions make
marriage luxury. In this country the
cost of license and fee to the mag
istrate or priest amount to so small
sum that marriage is within the scope
of the poorest. No man need deny
himself wife by reason of the ex-
pense of getting her. And yet, here,
as in Europe, marriages are decreas-
ing. If anyone will count the number
of available bachelors he knows, and
compare it with the number of those
who marry in twelve-month he will
be surprised to find how few young
mer avail themselves of their oppor-
tunities to become fathers of families
The evolution of celibacy is less
marked on this coast than in the east.
because there is here-taking the coast
altogether-a slight predominance of
males over females. But even here
the proportion of girls who are admira-
bly, fitted to be wives and mothers is
unduly large in proportion to those
who enter the conjugal state. The
cause is probably two-fold: First, our
girls concentrate an undue share of
their energy on the cultivation of fac
ulties which. however valuable, do not
increase their fitness to be wives and
mothers: and secondly, the march of
modern improvement makes bachelor
life so delightful that young men are
reluctant to exchange it for matrimonv.
A tax on bachelorhood would proba bly,
be unconstitutional, and it would not
be feasible to close clubs and other re-
sorts of celibates by statute.
The practical lesson which statistics
teach is that young women should not
look forward to matrimony as the eX-
elusive road to happiness, but that
they should boldly look the situation
in the face, and should prepare to en-
gage in tbs battle of life on the same
footing as their brothers, with the pur-
pose of remaining single unless the
ideal of their aspirations should hap
pen 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 bear
ing orange blossoms in his hand; but
not the one end and aim of existence, q
failure to obtain which involves mis-
cry and desiccation. With the devel-
opment of civilization the range Of
pursuits in which girls can compete
with men is constantly widening. 1t
is probably as easy at the present time
in this city for girl to get remunera-
tive employment as for boy. And
while the scale of pay of shop girls is
too low-which will probably continue
to be the case so long as they persist
in calling themselves ''salesladies"-
women in some other callings are pref
ty fairly paid. A trained nurse com
mands ninety dollars month and her
board. and the doctors say that there
are not half enough of them If every
girl could be sure of earning even fifty /
dollars a month she could snap her I'm /
gers at the decline in the marriage
rate.
A Dangerous Operation.