The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1902-11-21

A. Montefore Brice's recent article
in the London Mail uses the police
court records and the census returns
to warn the world against early mar
rage. Apparently Mr.. Brice thinks
that people who marry before they are
81 incur great dangers. Statistics from
Berlin have shown of late that dl-
vOrces are much more frequent among
those who marry early than among
those who marry late. OF course those
who marry early have more time in
which to get divorced. Even when
this fact has been reckOned with,
however, there still seems to the stats
ticians to be reason to think that the
marriage of minors is in general a mis-
take. What is true in Berlin appears
now to be true in London. The 'spir-
itual and scientific mating and mar
rage" which was suggested the other
day at a woman's meeting in New
York, seems often to be neglected in
English affairs of the heart The con-
sequence of that neglect is to be seen,
thinks Mr.. Brice, in the large number
of assertions to which the police court
records and the census returns bear
witness. The number Of child mar
riages Is in itself astonishing. In Lon
don, if one considers the total number
of marriages, 40 per cent are those
of male minors and 1913 per cent are
those of female minors. In the prov
nces 90 per cent are those of male
minors and IS per cent those of fe-
male minors. 1t appears, then, that
the provinces are in this matter worse
than London and the women worse
than the men. In England and Wales
there are 56,39S married persons who
are under age. In London alone there
are 1900 such persons. On the night
of the last census of those wives
whose husbands were not living with
them 742 were under age, and of those
! husbands whose wives were not living
with them 1900 were under age. Also
of the $50 minors in prison 200 were
married. These things, together with
many incidents that have come under
his notice, have convinced Mr.. Brice
that the early marriage is an institu.
ton which cannot too soon disappear
That it is tending to disappear seems
to be indicated by the history of the
last quarter of a century. In 1874
which was a kind of banner year." or
high water mark" out of every LOCO
husbands and wives 81 husbands and
227 wives were under age. Since that
a,
rupted progress. To-day out of every
600 husbands and wives there are
only 80 husbands and only 165 wives
under age. The marriage age it seems
is rising. Which may mean that peo-
pie are more sensible. 1t may really
mean, however, that times are harder
and food prices higher. Or it may
mean that the standard of life" has
risen and men and women Will not mar
~ unless they can be sure OF higher
degree of physical comfort in then
homes. Any one, or all. of thes,
things may be true. The fact is clear
The explanation Is difficult There is
one particularly disquieting element il
the problem. Early marriages are
much more common among the poor
than among the rich. Now early mar
riages lead to domestic unhappiness
Should not the rich, therefore, be hap
pier dOmestically than the poor? Blu
are they? If not, where does the trOu
BILE come in? Is it the mere possession
of wealth and its opportunities tha
makes the difference?