Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-11-23
Not ON HE MARRY.
Millions Of Young Mn Who Pvr-
fcy S.nElC Life.
tih"ugh Their" Ar" IIeuty 81 waves q
I've Had the selfish r..aturss ling
- the joys of zach
cloriIond.

l. j. estimated INA: there ar, :hrr,
ul..t Ii y"uI. :ll'.,. e :....-r.4,r..t.r -,
- =. --t--.. :.
ur...r,t t. provide thcm>r,tr> ~.,l
N!vrs. and .hi> iup.jr~ the cNi~t"nrc -
!. least al ,-,aAl number - young
Nrlucu e.: I.lar-..l--"si =. a-'r who are
W44tin. p ~. r..~l.~ That i.,vrr come
Tie az = Important, says thu II
Louis G.ulc-pcn"crat, As Indicating
M e.. the social tendencies - III,
peri =! Il cannot hr doubted that Tic
popularity II matr.m'ny has material
y Grr.inrd in recent years and that
kind e.! general hcsitancy seems I" pre-
val respecting the negotiations ~ surt
Shame There was Il time when III,
voung people ~ the country hastcnr,
u pair Themselves with birdiikr eager
Ness and delight as soon a. they Were
out II srhool, and society not only en-
outraged them but practically com
manded them tn tale that course
Ihry were considered suprrilnnuS and
hurdcnsome until thy got married.
The true work Of lif,. could not begin
with them, they were taught. So long
as they remained single: il was thcir
duty IL become y"ked without un.
necessary delay. and il was disgrace
IL miss reasonable opportunities in
tina; relation. But it is decidedly diff
ferent at the present day. The prac-
tice OF wedlock is no longer imperative.
nor does discredit attend the minated
state. even when prolonged into tho
thirties. There is as much advice given
against marriage as in favor of it by
the wise and experienced Of both sexes.
and the result is steady decrease il
the proportion of actual weddings I.
possible ones.
The causes which have produced this
marked change are not sufficiently
definite for satisfactory analysis. 1t is
probably true that our eXtravaganf
style Of living is one OF the effective
influences. The cost Of supporting
wife and raising family is much larger
than it used to be. and this feature oi
the matter often gives pause on both
sides. We have come to measure &c
many things by money that matrimOny
has not escaped the rule. The young
people are disinclined to start in a hum
Bile way and gradually improve theiI
situation; they want all that theii
parents have without waiting and striv
ing for it. Many proposals are unques
tionably delayed or rejected on this ac-
count. Then, it is we'll known that the
new avenues of employment open tc
women have made them more indie
pendent and probably also more exact
ing as to the qualifications of husbands
1t is not nearly so common as it once
was for girls to marry simply in order
to secure home and a living; they are
able now TO earn good wages and te
take their time about assuming the
duties of wives and mothers. We may
safely believe, moreover, that the prog
ress of women in education and in social
power has led them to look less favor.
ably upon the connubial condition o,
subordinating their hearts to their
heads, SO to speak. And finally it can.
not but be that the abundance of crit.
cism to which the marriage system has
been subjected by writer's OF pro-
Aounced vigor and skill has served &c
weaken it in the popular estimation
and to disparage the quality of sacred.
ness that is its highest claim to respect
and honor.
There is no reason as yet, however.
to lament the prevailing tendency as .
national misfortune. The amount Of
marrying is still large enough for ali
ordinary purposes, and it may be that
less rather than more of it would best
promote the interests of society. Such
unions should be formed with som<
other object than that Of merely propa
eating the species. They involve the
most serious obligations and response.
bilities of human life, and if people are
learning to be slow and careful about
making contracts of so much Importance
it is hardly sign Of decay or q threat
Of calamity. Whenever any two per
sons care 50 much for each other that
they cannot happily live apart they will
be welded in spite of all opposing in.
fluences, and perhaps those are the only
ought ever to take place. 1t would not
do to say with Hamlet that i've will
have no more marriages." and that all
who are now single ''shall keep as they
are," but we are justified in thinking
that the rate of matrimonial happiness
i likely to be increased according tc
the measure Of marriages that are
brought about by reflective instead Of
emotional means The system with
which the critics find so much fault is
not perfect, but it is much better thar
they represent it to be, or it would not
have survived SO long. With all Their
faw-picking, they have not been able
to devise an acceptable substitute 70,
1t. and until they are able to do SO il
will continue to stand as the mos.
beneicent Of those great agencies which
regulate and control the affairs of civ
Nization.