Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-10-04
LOG TAXES
MARRIAGE
| LICENSES
d Some Ideas of the Horse
Editors Concerning
Them

The suit to determine the legality
the dog tax or dog license, which
X er it may be found to be. is at
Acting considerable attention, and
Ere will be feeling of genuine re
6tf when it is decided right, which
61er way that may be. The horse
|4ditor does not pretend to be wise, in
1in fact. freely admits that he much
Iotherwise, and though he has never
been a horse, despite Miss Anna
shaw's statement, has smattering
|uf horse sense. 1t may be that the
Htty council in it's unwisdom has
ome imaginary reason for taxing
wners of dogs, but, If so, sit and
od" alone knows the reason, and
either seems disposed to tell. But
here is another license far more in
Xcusable than that levied on the own
krs of dogs-a license that is an in
ult to intelligence and an outrage on
REGENCY, and that is the marriage
license. "God moves in mysterious
Way His wonders to perform" says
3the old hymn, but the Oregon legis-
Nature does stunt that makes an
Xhverage mystery seem as plain as
Ia mathematical calculation. Why
%should any man be compelled to pay
&the county for the privilege of TAX
ling the woman he loves to his heart,
Il Ito become a part of himself the
mother of his children, his other and
81 better half, without which neither
His complete? Why should the coun-
or state compel man to pay for
the privilege of doing what it wants
him to do, and what is necessary to
81 the very life of the community
Il itself? Is marriage an institution to
4 be rated with the keeping OF sa'
4 loon, the auctioning of goods, the
using of a shotgun or the owning of
a dog? When Johnny gets strangle
hold on Mayme's or Grayce's willowy
waist and gazes down into the clear
depths of her pellucid eyes, and sees
there only his own image, and she
snuggles her dear little fiossy head
IN against his breast, why should
the measly minions of the law butt
in and demand three big American
dollars, before he can give her his
name and share his love. his trials.
his Joys and his debts with her?
What business has the county with
! assuming ownership of the girl, and
selling her to anyone at any price!
What business is it of the county's,
or any ones else, except the parties
/ in interest and their parents? The
4 license to marry is all right, since II
4 guards against fraud, but why
4 charge for it?
But II marriage is punishable by
4 a fine, strictly payable in advance
why not make 1t larger? Why In
suit every woman by charging hel
would-be husband for the privilege
of imagining he owns her $3.50
while for bossing a female dog the
price is run up to six big plunks? IL
II supposed by our wise lawmakers
that 1t is really worth more to mar
to own a dog than II is to possess
Wife? Is her value only three ane
one-half times that of an old muzzie
loading shotgun? Does II inture th'
4 community and shock its sense o
propriety so cents worth more for
man TO marry than to purchase
bull pup?
II the license is correct. 1t does
A license is levied, or said to be, u
compensate the community for SOM
real or Imaginary inconvenience o
possible injury, and so long as TN
4 state or county Furnishes marriage o.
leyying a fine for committing It, s.
long will horse editors with hors
sense. as we'll as all the other sensi
BILE people. be compelled to admi
that our lawmakers look upon mar
riage as an offense II not agains
public deeency and morality
least against public policy.
The horse editor has no Ak !
grind. he is not seeking matrimon'
he was fined once for the ofens
down in Nevada. where the iawmai
.rs had a truer conception OF a goo
Sonan's value. and made the pun
shment $40. That was some year
AGO. when the horse EDITORS bac
hair was on straight, money was nc
80 much of an object. and he wa
not so we'll versed In cash values
No. matrimonial tendencies or IL
elinations have not inspired this al