The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1905-05-17
CHILD WIVES
Sold by Inscriptions Rela
tiyes- Continuous Prac-
tice Under axLawS.

CHICAGO, May 9.-Nalued chleiy as
commodities of exchange. young Sicil-
ian and Italian girls are bartered in Chi
cago for the price of a peddler's horse,
hand organ, or mothers steerage pas
sage across the ocean.
They are sold by their fathers to hus-
bands they never have seen, and then
re forced to go out into the street with
little green love birds for sale, to earn a
livelihood by telling the fortunes Of
passersby. or to turn the crank Of an or
gan from morning until night while
their masters pass the hat.
These facts We're brought to light re-
Gently by Supt w. Lester Bodine, Of
the compulsory department Of the Chi
cago school board. Truant officers have
been engaged for week in investigat-
ing the traffic in child wives a. II is car
ried on in Chicago Supt. Bodine's
lieutenants not only found that the con-
dition exists, but also discovered that
the lax marriage laws make it possible.
1t was discovered that it does not take
any more effort in Chicago TO secure a
marriage license for young children
than is expended in making the trip to
the county building and in affixing a
forged signature to the age affidavit.
OF the POL children, 90 per cent. were
Italians or Sicilians. while % per cent
were American born, and the remaining
/ b per cent scattered among the other
bationalities.
The marriage law of Illinois il a
farce" declared Supt. Bodne. ut
places a premium on perjury, and per
mits Cupid aud interruptions parents TO
rob the school and the cradle. IL is cas-
Ter 10 secure IA marriage ncense III Cook
county than Il dog license, and it costs
80 cents less. When you apply for a
dog license You have got to give de.
scription Of the animal and its house ad
dress When You go for n permit to
wed you need only give your age-it
usually is falsifed-and the city in
which you live. There is no way
through the record for US to look mp the
child wives and learn their exact ages.
Their residences are not given. More
perjury is committed at the marriage IL
cense window than in any other spot in
Chicago.
The possibility Of the false affidavit
practice under this lax system is as
great as il was under the old child.labor
law, continued Supt. Bodine. "Matri-
mony involving household duties and
motherhood il the worst kind Of slavery
for child of fourteen to sixteen years
old. Parents formerly made false afli-
davits 10 secure work for their daugh-
tiers in factories. That abuse was
checked by the new factory law. In.
der the present marriage law they are
not required to file proof of their four
teen.year old daughters age when they
want to deliver her into matrimony.
"A man in love is likely to swear TO
anything-he may lift the girls age a
few years when he robs the cradle for a
bride. The marriage law should be
amended to absolutely prohibit the mar
rage Of any girl less than eighteen
years old and stop this shameful prac-
tice of parents bartering their daughters
into marriage before they are ont of
short dresses"
The traffic in child wives is not organ.
lied, according to Supt. Bodine, hut is
carried on by Italians who migrate
from the provinces Of Abruzzi, Basilca.
ia, Calabra, Napoli and Sicily. The
father finds in Chicago prosperous ST.
Gillian and extols to him the charms of
his daughter Then he offers to give
her in marriage if the bridegroom will
agree to pay the passage to this country
of the girl and her mother. In many
instances the father needs new horse
for his peddling wagon or new hand
organ. The groom gives the price,