The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1894-05-02
IcHlLD BRIDES IN sosroNs
The Law Fsfmfss GlrIs to Marry ae %
and Roys at 1E

INe LAW ESfmtsS aGAets 20 -Arry AZ IL
and Roys at ~
How many psopie know MAT Il is'
lawful In Massachusetts for q little
girl of 12 to become q bride? 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
though tful and responsible officials
was powerlesS to prevent it, Accord
ing to decision, which has never
been reversed, . 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
Btatutes which prohibit magistrates
and ministers. under . penalty. of
solemnizlng the marriage of female
under the age of Is or . male under
the age of p without the consent Of
parents or guardians" The theory OF
protection which makes the consent
OF parents or guardians necessary is
really a very Aimsy protection for the
young and ignorant foreign girls
who are frequently sold into mar
riage at tender age in Boston by
parents who are not sufficiently
responsible for the state to permit
them this privilege OF disposlng of
their daughters before their 18th
birthday, when . girl of Massachu-
setts is of age.
Italians, Hebrews, Poles, SyriaHe,
Arabs of most ignorant classes. men
unable to sign their names in their
own language and not understanding
q question asked Of them, appear in
the city registrars Office seeking
licenses to marry girls who are to bo
mothers of the next generation of
American citizens During one week
recently three men came into the
registrars Office for marriage Ii
censes and 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 Is and had her guardians
consen. to her marriage was estab-
lished through a trusted interpreter.
This often happens when inquiry is
instituted.
Talk about Gretna Green!" said
the city registrar to writer for the
Transcript alt 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 well
for a country town where everybody
knew everybody else, but 70: city
with foreign population like OURS
we'll, thoughtful people simply have
no idea of what is going ON in this
matter. Any girl of ~ or over and
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 a license or not.
The records of 1898 show fifty
seven marriages OF girls of II or less,
three of these were Is and one a
child of IA. She was in the grammar
school and wore short dresses.
When her teacher sent to know why
she did not come to school it seemed
to her impossible to believe she was
married. Her parents had consented!
The bridegrooms of the little mar
ried girls of Massachusetts, are usual
ly men double that age. Boston wO-
men have spent good deal of
thought and time and money for the
child widows of India. There Is
room for q good deal of endeavor in
behalf of the child brides of Massa-
chusetts.