The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-09-04
"PLEASB DO
NOT PUBLISH"
Love Lorn Couples at the Pro-
bate O ffice Who Are Anxious
TO AVOID The NEWSPAPERS.
Marriage Licenses Are Public Records
Hut Some Couples Ask Concession
of Judge Aungst- Their Rea-
sons Are Many.

Probate Judge Aungst stated to
News Democratic reporter that in Sep
tember there was always large num-
Der of permits ii wed issued.
When marriage license has been is
sued 1t becomes a matter Of public re-
cord, for the inspection Of any one who
may desire to look over 1t. In spite Of
this fact, the words don't publish" are
written after many licenses on the
books at the probate office. Licenses
issued ten years ago were rarely ever
labled in this manner, but In this day
when marriages are often made in a
day and divorces in week, the couples
have taken precautions. They have no
desire that the public at large should
know Of their matrimonial intentions,
as doubtless they are fearful, when
they scan divorce records, that they will
be there themselves before long. But
there are other reasons.
Probably the only place where you
can get women's correct age is on a
marriage license. Rarely does anyone
dare to commit perjury when swearing
to a license. The heartless newspapers
take the license and announce to the
world that Mary Smith. 81 years old,
has decided to try third matrimonial
jaunt. Or there is little girl of ten
der age who is not old enough to know
better than to jump heedlessly into
such a rash step. She Is married, often
against her parents will and the mar
riage is kept secret. Their first ques-
ton is, whether there Is any way to
keep the marriage notice out Of the
papers. This past spring there We're
two such cases among well known So
ciety people of this city. They enjoyed
their honeymoon without congratula-
tions, and after the fascination was
losing its hold they announced that they
had been married three months ago and
then received the coincidence of their
friends.
EXPOSES FAMILY SKELETONS.
The license also tells the occupations
of the parties and the maiden names of
ancestors as far back as Adam, you
would think If you tried to answer
them. People object to unlocking fam
lily chests and bringing out ancient his
tory of ancestorial doings and spreading
them out for curious public to pick
over and harp at. Consequently the
bashful ones and those who dislike to
tell all they know, ask to have the IL
cense not published.
Then there are the eloping ones from
other cities, who fear the wrath OF
irate parents, and those who would
never be married IL fate had not pre-
dicted that they should. Here are di-
vorces being constantly remarked
widows who object to it being herald
ed that they are on a honeymoon be-
fore they have taken off mourning
and host Of others who besiege the
probate court with requests not to pub
lish the license. They go away salts
fed when they see those magic words
don't publish" just opposite their
names. They have an idea that the
probate court edits the newspapers
They forget that the law has, in Its
wisdom, expressly provided that these
are public documents always open and
can never be kept secret. 1t makes the
couples feel easier, however, to think
they won't be written up. Judge Aungst
is always obliging enough to write the
words but he never assures that the
marriage will not be written up. Il
very often happens that those marked
don't publish are just the ones thai
will be played up with the largest head
for there is nearly always STORY
in such marriages and II the newspa
pers only published what people want
ed them to, about all they would have
would be items that John Brown hat
added a fresh coat of paint to hi
woodshed. 1t don't pay for yount
couples to go at marriage with the ides
that the outside world will let then
alone. The up-to-date newspaper maj
goes after a don't publish" marriage
license with the haste and avaricious
ne IS of a hungry man finding founda
tion to q railway sandwich at jerl
water supper stop.
PLEASE DON'T"
The probate court never says a II
cense will not be published. They sim
ply write those two words don't pub
lish," which seem to satisfy the couples
but they are generally surprised tn
next day to find an interesting littl
romance printed, in which their live
are connected. These two words ar
nearly always the scent for goot
story and II one does not want to hav
much said about his matrimonial in
clinations, he had best not say any
thing about not having 1t published. y
course there are cases when 1t is b4s
nothing should be said of q license.
is often the last link in sorrowinl
chain of events and 1t would but bligh
the life of the parties If 1t were herald
ed abroad they were married. Ru
these cases are few and far betweel
and the average ''afraid of the news
paper" couple, is just the one whicl
has a good chance to get acquainted
the next day with seeing their name II
print.
This common practice Of keeping
marriage a secret might seem on tn
surface not very serious piece of neg
lect. 1t would seem as II mans mar
riage were his own affair. and as II h
ought to be excused from publishing
1t If he desires. But there are man,
cases In which this has worked griev
ious harm. A young man and a girl
too young to be married, in a rash i'm
pulse secure license and have tn
matter kept a secret. They are i'm
pulsive, and being infatuated with eacl
other, they think 1t will last forever
Il - II