The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-05
BETTER MARRIAGE LAWS,
From the Philadelphia Press.

From the Philadelphia Press.
The marriage law just passed by the
Wisconsin legislature will relieve that
state of a disgrace which has long at
tached to it. The law is one Of the most
stringent of the kind on the statute books
of any state. 1t requires persons wish
ing to marry to procure a certificate
from the county clerk five days before
the ceremony takes place and to sign
and verify n statement or take oath that
they are of age and that thGre is no
legal impediment to their marriage. If
the persons wishing to marry are under
the legal age-2i years for the male ana
IS years for the female--consent in per-
son or in writing of the parents or guar
dians must be given, and IL in writing
it must be signed and verified by two
witnesses Heavy penalties are provided
for the clerk who issues certificate or
the clergyman who marrles a couple con-
trary to the terms of the law
O.
Wisconsin has long been known as the
Gretna Green of the surrounding neigh
borhood. Its marriage laws were the
loosest of any state in the Northwest.
No certificate was demanded and no
proof as TO whether there were any inn
| pediments to the marriage. Any one,
| resident or nonresident, coulG be mar
ried for a fee The consequence was that
| thousands of people who did not care 20
| comply with the marriage laws of their
| own state or could not comply hurried
| over the border into Wisconsin and were
married by accommodating ministers or
| justices of the peace. The practice be-
! came scandal and a source OF trade
| and traffic Recently excursion boats
running between Chicago and Milwau-
| kee have sold excursion tickets with
a marriage coupon attached as an in
| ducement to Sunday afternoon travel,
while opposition boats have carried a
| clergyman aboard TO marry any who de-
sired as soon as Wisconsin waters were
| reached
The demoralizing consequences OF this
| loose and indiscriminate practice of mar
| rying have been only too evident A
good share Of the people SO marrying
had no clear or adequate conception OF
| the results and responsibilities following
the step they were taking. They entered
upon the relation hastily inconsiderate'
| ly and often as a joke. The result was
| lifelong misery in many cases and re-
| sort to the divorce court in other cases
| And the harm was not done alone to iht
| persons marrying. Their relatives anC
| friends had often to share in the dis
i grace aud ignominy which followed
Some recent noted cases can be cited, 4
daughter of Chief Justice Fuller OF thu
| United States Supreme Court ran away
To Milwaukee and was married by a JUS
tce of the peace and few years latel
had TO go to the divorce courts to fret
herself from irksOme matrimonial bonds
The hasty marriage of Robert 4. Lin
coins daughter was another illustration
OF the facilities offered by the Wisconsin
laws and the Milwaukee parsons.
The most discouraging fact of all wa
that so-called ministers were found II
plenty 10 help on and profit by thes
loose marriage practices. They wer
among the most vigorous opponents o
the new law. Just as they We're of tn
license law in New Jersey. Bishol