The age-herald., 1898-01-23
TECHNICS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS.

gressiye, self-assertive woman, who is mi-i nus discretion, although bubbling over with good impulses. She has the courage of her convictions, and has need of it on many occasions when the opinions advanced by i. her are questioned debated, and battled with by that element of her acquaintance- ship who spend their lives in 'line-upon- ] line, and reeept-upon-precept." kind of way.
 This aforesaid woman never learns any, thing by experience; she is always out on a Quixotic sort of tour, fruitlessly trying to bring the wrong things right and the crooked things straight. So when she sat I at the dinner table the other day andJ blurted out in not-to-be-contradicted tone: "There are too many trusts, too many corporations, but not enough com4' missions" the other guests waited in as- tonishment for explanation of this an- archistic utterance. They did not have long to wait, for as the coffee was handed this woman proceeded to give the reasons for her political theories, which really were not very political, after all
 "Yes,' she continued-nothing abashed by the surprised expression on the faces of her friends-"I am for fewer trusts, and I cannot imagine how any human being with a spark of manhood in his composi- ton should stand in awe of the dictatoria1 mandates of greedy corporations, but believe in commissions, with one or two exceptions. Of course, I do not advocate an oil commission for Alabama, which was only created to provide employment and income for a few men who should support themselves in other ways than by the man. ipulation of jobs and schemes.
 But the railway commission and oth- CTS of like power have been for the im- provement of the conditions of the masses. I am for the masses. the great masses of the common people, who get all the husks of life to eat and who only catch such oc- casional glmpses of sunshine as peep out from behind the eternal clouds. Therefore, I am an advocate for more commissions q national quarantine commission, and, above all, a matrimonial commission, though differing largely from the recently organized New England society,"
 As soon as her hearers could gain their mental equilibrium after this deluge of words, the aggressive woman was inter- rogated as to the object aim and reason
 
 panation was impregnated with her own genuineness of purpose when she an- swered: Ut is an awful thing to allow humanity to marry as it sees fit. It is a fearful experiment to trust the future of the race in the hands of semi-idiots of the halt, the maimed, the blind and the victims of neurotic diseases. The national government, when it puts into execution the much-desired quarantine system, ought to appoint a commission which would have the power to organize state commissions. before whom all candidates for matrimony shall be compelled to appear with certifi- cates from trustworthy physicians as to the physical pecularities of the race from which each candidate comes. Did you ever think how much improved the social con- ditions-using social in its broadest and best significance-would be with the exist ence of a power which could prevent the marriage of consumptives, of victims of nervous diseases, of the weak -minded-of even semi weakminded-of criminals and of the men and women who are afflicted with a natural lack of energy and go through life in semi-comatose state, moro dead than alive. Even after eliminating these ineligibles, there would be left enough good, wholesome, healthy energetic, sensl- be men and women to keep the wedding bells ringing and the fragrance of the orange blossoms in this workaday world.
 
 The aggressive female philosopher con- tinued unabashed with the presentation of her latter-day theories: "Take the dis pusting incidents that are flashed over the electric wires of the country about Gen. Cassius M. Clay and his 'child-wife,' and every one of you will agree with me that some measure should be adopted that will save self-respecting communities from a recurrence of the matrimonial infelicities of this ll-assorted pair.
 No one cares continental whether they live together not; every true woman, In her inmost soul, has an increased respect for the vascilating Dora because she ob- jects to living any longer with the bei- lgerent old Kentuckian, who has fought his way through life, and now when hay- ing nearly reached the century mark, he stands at the very brink of the grave with his shotgun by his side, ready to fire away, at any real or imaginary foe. Dora, the plain little girl, has forfeited, or course the regard of respectable people by her preference for another man whiie her husband lives. It is all a miserable. disgusting story, that sadly reflects on human nature, whether it comes from a long line of distinguished lineage, like the Clays, or originated in the uncultivated family of Dora Richardson. If we had had a matrimonial commission, such marriage could never have occurred in this country, and one of the most inex- cusable romances of the century could not have eliminated in a wedding.
 With matrimonial commission there would be less poverty, fewer. hospitals, fewer orphan asylums, fewer criminals. fewer penitentaries and more happiness. Do you think we shall ever reach such degree of civilization?" the aggressive woman anxiously inquired.
 A brave man, who managed to recover the power of speech. as he finished his cup of coffee, gently suggested: Suppose you call a convention to discuss the in- mediate need of matrimonial commits