Evening star., 1894-01-06
CHILD BRIDES IN BOSTON.
The Law Permits Girls to Marry at N
and Boys at L.

" AsOyo ~ ~.
HOW many people know that 1t is la yful
In Massachusetts for a little girl of twelve
to become bride? Who could believe az
first thought that many little girls in shor,
dresses have been legally married in Bos-
ton. several during the past year, ana tha,
the law. even In the hands of thoughtful
and responsible officials, was powerless to
prevent It? According to a decision, which
mas never been reversed. a marriage be.
tween two infants above the age of twelve
In females and fourteen in males Is valid
without the consent OF their parents OF
guardians. notwithstanding the statutes
which prohibit magistrates or minjsters
under penalty, from solemnizing the mar.
rage OF female under the age Of eighteen
or male under the ege of twenty-one WITH
out the consent of parents or guardians. -
The theory of protection which makes the
consent of parents or guardians necessary
s really very iiimsy protection for the
young and ignorant foreign girls who are
requently sold into marriage at a ter der
tge IN boston by parents Who are not sum-
cientiy responsible for The state to permit
them this privilege of disposing OF their
daughters befoce their eighteenth birthday
when a girl Of Massachusetts, Is OF age
itallans, Hebrews, Poles. Syrians, Arabs
OF the most ignorant classes, men unable 70
sign their names in rhe.r own language and
not understanding a question asked Of them,
appear In the citv registrars cf;ics seeking
licenses to marry girls who are 20 be moth
ers Of the next generation OF American c:ti-
1ens During ono Neck recently three men
came to the registrars Office for maria re
licenses ani gave sixteen years or less as
The age of the bride. in each case they " ere
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 maria ee
was established through a trusted inter-
prefer. rms OFTEN happens when inquiry is
instituted.
Talk about Grerna Green.' said the CITY
registrar to a writer foc the Transcript.
1t was difficult to get married in Gretna
Green compared with this city. t;retna
Green was hedged about and hard IN COM
parison to Boston. The laws as they stand
now here would do very well for a country
town where everybody knew everybody else,
but for city with 4 foreign population
like ours-well, thoughtful people simply
nave no idea of what is going on in this
matter. Any girl of twelve or over and any
boy OF fourteen may be married with con-
sent. and the marriage is legal without
consent III 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 1893 show fifty-seven mar.
riages of girls of seventeen or less three of
these were fifteen and one was a child of
fourteen. She was in the grammar school
and wore short dresses When her tea cher
1t seemed to her impossible to believe that
she was married. Her parents had con-
sented! The bridegrooms Of the little mar
ried girls OF Massachusetts are usually 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 Massa ch,sefta