The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1894-02-15
cHiLD nRIDes m posrcn.
The Law PsruaIt. airls 20 Marcy as IL
ana RoTa no "a.


The Law PsrraIts Girls 20 Marry as IL
and Esoya No 10.
How many people know that it is
lawful in Massachusetts for q Htt4e
girl Of l2 to become O bridea Who
would believe at first thought that
many little girls in short dresses
have been legally married in Boston.
several during the past year. and
that the law, even in the hands Of
thoughtful and responsible officials,
was powerless to prevent it4 Accord
ing to q decision. which has never
been reversed. n marriage between
two infants above the age of>12 IN the
females and IA in the males is valid
without the consent Of their parents
or guardians notwithstanding the
statutes which prohibit magistrates
and ministers, under q penalty, of
solcmnizlng the marriage Of a female
under the age of 10 or q male under
the age of II without the consent of
parents or guardians The theory Of
protection which makes the consent
of parents or guardians necessary is
really q very nimsy protection for the
young and ignorant foreign girls
who are frequently sold into mar
risge &C . tender age in Boston by
parents who are not sufficiently
responsible for the state to permit
them this privilege OF dispos1ng of
their daughters before their 18th
birthday. when q girl Of Massachu-
setts is of age.
Italians. Hebrews. Poles, Syrians.
Arabs OF most ignorant classes. men
unable to sign their names In their
own language and not understanding
. question asked Of them, appear in
the city registrars Office seeking
licenses to marry girls who are to be
mothers OF the next generation OF
American citizens During one week
recently three men came into the
registrars ohlce for marriage II
censes aud gave 16 years or less as
the age OF the bride In each case
they were told to bring the girl. and
in one of the cases the fact that the
girl was 16 and had her guardians
consenG to her marriage was estab-
lished through a trusted interpreter.
This often happens when inquiry is
Instituted.
the city registrar to q writer for the
Transcript ''It.was difficult to get
married in Gretna Green compared
with this city. Gretna Green was
hedged about and hard in comparl-
son to Boston. The laws as they
stand now here would do very we'll
for q country town where everybody
knew every body else. but for @ city
with q foreign population like ours
we'll. thoughtful people simply have
no idea of what Is going on in this
matter. Any girl of II or over and
any boy OF il may he married with
consent and the marriage is legal
without consent If any clergyman or
justice of the peace can be prevailed
upon to perform the ceremony,
whether they have . license or not -
The records OF 1898 show ffty-
seven marriages of girls of II or less,
three of these were Is and one q
child OF Il She was in the grammar
| school and wore short dresses.
| When her teacher sent to know why
I she did not come to school it seemed
to her impossible to believe she was
married. Her parents had consented
Tho bridegrooms OF the little mar
ried girls OF Massachusetts, are usual
| ly men double that age. Boston wo
men have spent q good deal O
thought and time and money for the
child widows Of India. There l:
room for q good deal of endeavor in
behalf of the child brides Of Massa-
! chusetts-