The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-15
CHILD BRIDES IN BOSTON.
The Law Permits Girls to Marry at 2
and Boys at IA.
From the Boston Transcript,


How many people know that it is law
full in Massachusetts for little girl of IL
to become bride? Who could 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 it, According to a
decision, which has never been reversed,
a marriage between two infants above
the age of IL in females and IA in males is
valid without the consent of their parents
or guardians Notwithstanding the stat
utes which prohibit magistrates. or minis
tiers, under penalty, from sOlemnizing the
marriage of a female under the age of Is
or male under the age of 81 without the
consent of parents or guardians" The
theory of protection which makes the
consent of parents or guardians necessary
is really a very f1imsy protection for the
young and ignorant foreign girls who are
frequently sold into marriage at tender
age in Boston by parents who are not
sufficiently responsible for the state to
permit them this privilege of disposing
of their daughters before their 18th birth
day, 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 understanding a queS-
ton 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 to the
registrars office for marriage licenses and
gave 10 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 10 and had her
guardians consent to her marriage was
established through trusted interpreter.
This often happens when inquiry is in
stiUuted.
Talk about Gretna Green!" said the
CITY registrar 1T was difficult to get
married in Gretna Green compared with
this city. Gretna Green was hedged
about and hard in comparison to Boston
The laws as they stand now here would
do very well for country town where
everybody knew everybody else, but for
a city with a foreign population like ours
well, thoughtful people simply have no
idea of what is going on in this matter
Any girl of II or over and any boy of IA
NAV be 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 u license or not"
The records of 1898 show fifty-seven
marriages of girls of II or less, three of
these were Is and one was a child of IA.
She was in the grammar school and wore
short dresses. When her teacher sent to
see why she did not come to school it
seemed to her impossible to believe that
she was married. Her parents had con-
sented! The bridegrooms of the little
married girls of Massachusetts, are usu-
ally men double that age. Boston women
have spent a good deal Of thought, and
time, and money for the child widows Of
India. There is room for good deal of
endeavor in behalf of the child brides of
Massachusetts.