The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1896-11-03
1sSEAz49zdEl5eNs
TO PROTECT OUR GIRLS.

ElABo LAW
Warden. in a Washington dispatch to
the Wilmington (Del.) Morning News.
says:
The happy smiles Of a would be BEN
edict and his ladylove were rudely dis
PEELED by the revelation made to them
by the marriage license clerk ut city
hall that because the young lady was
Lot a citizen Of the United States a Ii.
Cense for their marriage could not be is
sued. II was not because of any churl-
ish inclination on the part of tho official
to prevent the matrimonial union, but
because tho law says that no license
for any marriage shall be issued to
which any citizen Of a foreign country
shall be a party until a minister or con-
sui representing such foreign country in
the United States shall certify that the
conditions to the validity of the mar
riage laws of such country shall have
been complied with" This is a new
law (barely 100 days old) ITO regulate
marriage in the District Of Columbia"
When it was brought up for consider
alton in the last session of congress, the
senator who had charge of the bill stated
that he found the law in tho District Of
Columbia i'll reference to marriage in
such Il condition that it was a disgrace
to the civilization of this country and
to the capital of this, nation; that the
provisions of the old Maryland act had
been obsolete, unknown and Enacted
upon for many years; that there had not
been a marriage solemnized within the
limits of the District of Columbia with
in the last so years which conformed
fully to, those provisions; that the
courts had wisely held them directory
and sustained the validity Of the mar
riage, but had left the parties who had
violated its provisions amenable to its
penalties, and 1t was therefore impor-
tant that the law should be amended
and those sections repealed.
In connection with the particular
part of the new law which relates to
marrying foreigners in the District, some
very curious facts were stated in con-
gress by Senator Hoar.
"We want to protect American girls
who are attractive by reason of their
beauty or accomplishments or the pos
session Of "A fortune from the rapacity
of adventures, whether titled or until
tied, belonging to foreign countries, p"
said Senator Hoar. LAS the law exists
at present, for instance, III person in a
foreign army can contract a lawful
marriage with an American girl with
out the assent of his own government.
In France and in some other countries
no person under 25 years of age can con
tract q lawful marriage without the, as
sent Of his parents. No person over %
years of age can contract such a lawful
marriage without notice to his parents,
if they be living, to give them an oppor-
tunity to file objections, though their
consent is not necessary.
$50 a person of that character can
| come here and contract a marriage with
an American woman, take her home,
and although he may have dwelt here
with her as her husband for ten years
she can be turned out, and the marriage
is absolutely null and void there.
Senator Hoar 'instanced a celebrated
case in Illinois in illustration Of this,
and remarked that there are hundreds
of cases that have happened showing the
inequality and iniquity growing out Of
such proceedings. 1--WE are to be thank
full, " the senator said, that every for
eigner who goes to another country and
there marries a wife. is not q villain,
but there are enough Of them to make
this an evil requiring correction. This
new provision of law does not make the
marriage void at all. 1t only prohibits
the minister from solemnizing it until
this has been done-until this certifi-
cate from the foreign minister or consul
shall have been produced. and without
such a provision, il the man still retains
his foreign citizenship and takes his
wife back to his native country, she
goes back as u concubine and not as q
lawful wife, although she may believe
herself to be lawfully married according
to our law. 1t is only to protect our
citizens against Adventures"