The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-04-25
BOSTON'S CHILD BRIDES
An Astonishing Condition of Mas
sachusetts Marriage Laws
As Compared with Gretna Green the scity
Of Culture" Is Regarded as Away
Behind on Matrimonial
Restrictions

How many people know that it is
/ lawful in Massachusetts for little
girl of twelve to become bride? Who
could believe at first thought that
many little girls in short dresses have
been legally married here in Boston.
several during the past year, and that
/ the law. even in the hands of thought
full and responsible officials, was pow
srIess to prevent it? According to a
decision which has never been re-
gersed. saws the Boston Transcript, ga
marriage between two infants above
the age Of twelve in females and four
teen in males is valid without the con-
sent Of their parents or guardians, not
withstanding the statutes which pro-
bibit magistrates or ministers, under a
penaltv, from solemnizing the mar
rage of a female under the age of
eighteen or a male under the age
IF tyventv-one without the consent of
parents or guardians" The theory Of
protection which makes the consent
Of parents or guardians necessary is
really a very fimsy protection for the
Young and ignorant foreign girls who
are frequently sold into marriage at
tender age here in Boston by parents
who are not sufficiently responsible for
the state to permit them this privilege
Of disposing of their daughters before
the eighteenth birthday, when a girl
of Massachusetts, Is Of age
Italians, Hebrews, Poles, Syrians,
Arabs. of the most ignorant classes,
men unable to sign their names IN
their own language and not under
standing a question asked of them, ap-
pear in the city registrars office seek
ing licenses TO marry girls who are to
be mothers of the next generation OF
our American citizens During a re
cent week three men came to the reg
istrars Office for marriage licenses who
gave sixteen years or less as the
age of the bride. In each case tfey
were told to bring the girl, and in
one Of the cases the fact that the girl
was sixteen and had her guardians
consent to her marriage was estab-
I lished through a trusted interpreter.
This often happens when inquiry is
instituted. More than a score of cases
Q
mass Of business in the registrars Office
Il is not easy TO keepup a philanthropic
investigating bureau and also fulfill
the laws of Massachusetts,, which
makes the marriage Of children easy in
the extreme. Talk about Gretna
Greenr says the city registrar, lit was
difficult to get married in Gretna Green
compared with this city. Gretna Green
was hedged about and hard in compar-
ison with Boston. The laws as they
stand now here would do very well for
Z country town where everybody knew
everybody else, but for a city with a
foreign population like Ours-wen,
thoughtful people simply have 10 idea
OF what is going on in this matter.
! ANY girl of twelve or over, and any
boy of fourteen, may be married with
consent, and the marriage is legal
without consent If any clergyman or
1 Justice Of the peace can be prevailed
/ upon TO perform the ceremony, whether
/ they have a license or not"
The records Of this year show fifty
seven marriages Of girls of seventeen
/ or less; three of these were fifteen, and
one a child of fourteen. She was in
the grammar school and wore short
/ dresses. When her teacher sent to see
why she did not come to school il
seemed to her impossible to believe
that she was married. Her parents
/ had consented The state of Massachu-
setts as represented by its officials was
/ helpless to look after the welfare of
I its citizens. OF course a change in the
/ law raising the age when a girl can
marry to eighteen years would also
raise the age of her possible husband
to twenty-one years. But as matter
Of fact, boys seldom apply for the re-
I sponsibilities of the head of a house
hold before shat age. The bride
| Crooms of the little married girls ot
Massachusetts, are usually men double
! that age. Boston women have spent n
| good deal OF thought and time and
| money for the child widows of India.
There is room for good deal of en-
deavor in behalf Of the child brides Of
/ Massachusetts,