Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-11-12

The Express and Standard does not
believe the bill introduced by Mr..
Bole of Coventry to reatrict the grant
ing of marriage licenses to idiots.
halt-witted, or feeble minded persons
should become law. The contem-
porary quotes what the MONITOR said
few weeks ago supporting the bill
and then adds:
just where will you draw the line
between "Drain" and ''law" to iudoe
whether a man or woman snail marry
or not? How many ounces of brain
Will 1t need to offset the obstruction?
Such law might apply to idiots, for
idiots, on account of their lack of
brain, would be wise enough not to
marry. Aud they never do, law or
no law. But feeble minded person
that is an entirely different cues
ton. Brain matter is not always
essential to make a home happy.
Homes of people not overstocked
with intelligence are frequently
pleasant The feeble minded do not
always raise fools. The poorhouses
never have been and are not to-day
filled up with fools and idiots, or even
the feeble minded. The majority get
there through various other causes.
Neither our state nor any other state
Is er-burdened with taxes for the
support OF fools or weak minded per.
sons or their offspring. A feeble
minded person-not a fool-who has
Drains enough to understand the mar
rage relations, has brains enough to
marry, and should be given the rights
and privileges of every American
citizen. You might as well pass a
law to kill the Old and infirm for fear
they may become burden. Itwould
be just "a reasonable, for it is said
that the children of Old men are not
above the average in intellect. Such
q law would breed Ill feeling and any
amount of trouble. 1t would EN-
barrass any man to draw tho line on
Drain in the decision of such a case.
To be sure, it might be beneficial to
the nation TO run blooded stock
market In human beings, but it never
will be, and never should be done for
the happiness of all concerned. If a
wise man desireth to marry fool it
should be his privilege 1t might
prove beneficial to the fool. At least,
a man who has brain enough to pay
poll-tax comes pretty near having
brain enough to marry, and we
hardly think law will be passed to
prevent 1T.
There is lot of truth in the above,
and no one denies the fact that it
would be pretty difficult job to state
just who should and who should not
be granted licenses under this law,
but this does not make it that the
principle of the law is not vital.
Because it is difficult job to tell the
difference between drunkard and a
man who drinks we do not believe
the law stating that barkeepers shall
not sell to drunkards should be
stricken off the statute books B.
cause law throws heavy weight OF
responsibility upon some official
(Which this law does not we do nut
believe the law should be condem ned
Furthermore the act does not seek
prohibit the marriage of persons who
have mind enough to understand the
marriage covenant. 1t is only in
tended to stop the most pronounced
cases Of unfitness. Following is the
act as it stands before the legislature
not exactly as Mr.. Bole introduced i,
but as 1t came back from the com.
mittee, and we see in it nothing
unsound, unconstitutional or un-