The Penn's Grove record., 1897-03-26

they will better their condition, would
it not be well for other farmers to drop
pref udice and study these propositions
to see what there is in them?
No Marriage License Wanted.
The Camden Preachers Meeting ap-
pointed a committee, consisting of
Ravs. W. F. Herr, John Handley, j.
B. Graw and S. NJ. Vansant who draft.
cd q statement and presented it to the
Legislature as to why the Lloyd mar
riage license bill should not become a
law. 1t lays q tax on every man rich
and poor, and subjects him to an i'll
quisitive clerk, on every man who con'
templates matrimony. The W. G. j..
U. and some of the religious denomin-
a.ions have flew to arms with petitions
for the bills passage on the superstition
that marriages a be entered into
recklessly and on the supposition that
our laws are now loose.
"But in point of fact, the law Of New
Jersey provides that every official or
minister, who performs the ceremony
shall first institute an inquisitiop 90 Il
age, full name, residence, number OF
marriage, occupation. eOantry Of birth,
name of father, country of birth of
father, maidsh name of mother, coun.
try or birth and full name of husband
or wife. After these questions are
answered they are sent for record to
the State bureau Of vital statistics.
Now 1t comes to be apparent that the
important question is that of age; this
is guarded by a penalty of $500, to be
collected from any minister or magis-
trate who shall marry a man under the
age Of 81 or a woman under the age of
Is years. Surely, this should make
ministers careful not to marry minors,
and you will search the records of the
Courts of New Jersey almost in vain
for cases where this fine has been i'm
posed. 1t is true that If the parties
make affidavit that they are of mar.
riageable age, this exonerates the min
lister, but lays the parties liable to pros
ecution for perjury. Now it is propos-
ed to change the place of inquiry to the
clerks Of the court and to fine them
500, if they neglect to refuse to COM
ply with the provisions OF the act. The
present law puts a fine of $500 on the
minister, while the Lloyd bill puts a
fine of 500 on the clerk, for any fall
ure or neglect in The issuing of the
license, aud yet they tell us that this is
in the interest of morality.
The statement next quotes from a
circular entitled Wharfage and the
State Laws" published by Ezra NJ.
Hunt, M. D., once Secretary apd Med
icai Superintendent of the State Board
of Vital Statistics Of New Jersey, in
which DIR. Hunt argues against the
necessity of further legislation.
Continuing the statement takes the
ground that the clerk will not prove
more careful or conscientious than the
minister or magistrate who performs
the ceremony, and asks why the young
people OF the State should be- required
TO pass the proposed inquisition and
pass a dollar for it when the minister
or magistrate is required to perform
the service gratis under the present
law, and, in any event, why should
residents of New Jersey pay twice as
much as a resident of Pennsylvania?
"Our position, then, is that the pre-
sent law, which, in whole or part, has
been on our statute books for over thir-
ty years, is ample to meet all require
meuts. We further hold that it is un-
just to impose this tax upon marriage,
and believe that 1t would greatly add
to immortality. We are not opposed TO
any further restriction. If needed, but
we are opposed, for the reasons given,
to the Lloyd bill, believing that it
would be oppressive, inconvenient and
unjust, tend to immortality and bring
reproach upon our fair State. We have
Q good law. and, but for the bad Penn.
~sylvania law that has driven some Of
her citizens to our shores, these highly
colored and exaggerated stories, born
largely In the fertile brains of Philadel-
phia reporters, never would have seen
the light of day."
The statement further says that the
bill seems 10 add burdens, with no cor
responding advantages, and charges
that the press has been used to drive
New jersey to legislation similar to
Pennsylvania. In conclusion the state.
ment discusses the principal of licensing
persons whose calling may prove detri-
mental or dangerous to society, and
raises the point that 1t might be well
to license the minister or Magistrate,
and not require the people to bear the
burden. The Ohio law requiring min.
listers to be licensed to perform mar.
is advocated as q better measure
than the Lloyd bill. The statement
"Such a law rs this would be consis-
tent, and we should very much prefer
Of this character to the faul.
BY and insufficient, as well as burden.
some. provisions Of the Lloyd bill. But
1t 10 deemed necessary to pass the
Lloyd bill. let the fec be removed and
The fine increased to at least $780,"