Kansas City daily journal., 1895-06-02
INTERESTING TOPIC.
4 Society Leaders Emphatic Approval OF
International Marriages.

I most decidedly and emphatically
approve of the marriage of American
| girls with foreigners Of good character.
for l believe it is a good thing. nation
| ally. as well as individually. Interna-
tIonal marriages serve to bring the peo-
| pie OF two nations into closer Commun-
! ion, and To- arouse, in some degree, simi-
/ lar instincts and characteristics.
| But II seems to be the ouiniOn Of a
| large majority Of critics, who. | am
| bound to say, might b" broader minded,
| that simply because the American girl
| in some instances. has been very
! wealthy, international marriages have
| been merely marriages of convenience
| for the sake of acquiring a title on one
| side and riches on the other.
| But, for the sake of argument. sun
| pose We allow the premises of these
criticisms TO stand; where. even then
| can be found a firm fOundat ton for the
assumption that the marriage is one
| entirely of convenience and not one of
| love? Is it possible that simply because
| woman is rich IL is impossible for her
! to love a man who is poor? on the sur
| face the argument is absurd OF course
| these marriages have their practical or
more material advantages. Why not? In
| a great many instances each gives 20 the
| other that which each, formerly had
| not. II the husband Is one whose am
| bitiOn it is to climb. either socially po-
assists him 10 mount ana acquire great
er power. Her money enables him to
live in a style becoming his rank, and
his position gives her a place Of honor
in all foreign capitals The marriage is,
therefore, reciprocal, as far as regards
material benefits. The American woman
who have gone to live abroad have
done so with the very best results.
have in mind number of instances,
such as those charming Americans girls
IN H.. /
ough Lady Craven, the Countess Siers-
torpff, of Germany, and the Countess
Waldensee, also of Germany. | might
might multiply these instances many
times, all Of them high in the social life
of England, France and other countries.
The American woman, wherever she
has gone to live, has proven an honor
to America by her grace of manner and
charm Of person; and by her wit and
goodness and beauty she has caused the
greatest men of the times to bow To her
in profound admiration, if not in venera-
tion.
repeat I emphaticaly approve Of
international marriages, for l hold that
human nature among men and women
is the same in all countries, And why
should it be assumed that the man with
a title is any less desirable as a hus-
band than one without title.
As l have said, these marriages are
reciprocal in material benefits, and
happiness than mutual assistance-a
marriage wherein each contributes an
important quota. And then, why these
sweeping assertions that all for
eign nOblemen are Weak-kneed
weak Drained creatures? Why!
many of the intellectual giants
of Europe belong to the nobility.
And as for being weakened, physical
pigmies, why, the champion fencer of
France is a nobleman, the champion
boxer England n0DlgmIn
the late emperor of Russia was a giant
of physical strength. And about the
same convincing arguments can be used
10 contradict what is said against for
eign nobemen when considered morally.
We wrong the American women when
we accuse them of being influenced in
such marriages by a title, ana we are
unjust 10 the men of other countries
who happen TO have titles, when We ac-
cuse them Of contracting marriages with
our American girls from purely mercen-
airy motiyes.-Mrs. Paran Stevens, in
DemOreSts Magazine