The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-08
Marriage Laws i'm France.

LAWS
Frenchmen who have been seriously
alarmed over the fact that in France
there is, and has been for some time,
an actual increase of the death rate
over the birth rate are taking heart
from the reports which show a mark
ed increase in marriages since the
passing of the law removing one of
the restrictions upon matrimony. This
law was looked upon at the time of it's
passage as a rather radical piece of
legislation; the wise, old, conservative
people shook their heads over it, and
the Able Lemaire had hard work to
get it through the chamber of depu-
ties. And this revolutionary law was
to the effect that people over 80 years
old did not have to get the permission
of their parents to be joined in we'd
lock- The good able wanted to make
it that persons arrived at their ma
jority could dispense with the consent
of their parents when it came to mar
riage; but everybody was so shocked
at the suggestion that he did not press
the point, being well satisfied to get
what he did.
Marriage in France has heretofore
been hedged around with a great mass
of limitations and Instructions. was
a costly luxury, with long and compli-
Gated preliminaries, and is so still.
tally early marriages, and few chill
dren.
Frenchmen, suddenly awakened to
the fact that their race is disap-
pearing one. doomed to extinction to
a mathematical certainty unless some
thing is done, have been looking about
for the reason. In the marriage laws
one cause has undoubtedly been dis
covered. Even the slight concession
of allowing youths ami maidens of 80
to marry without asking papa has
caused the marriages of last year to
be more numerous than they have
been before since the two years fol-
lowing the Franco-Prussian war.
Perhaps the success of the Able Le-
MARES bill will influence the lawmak-
ers of France not only to make clean
sweep of the antiquated marriage laws
but so to 1egislate that early marriages
will be encouraged instead of being
made almost impossible. Then France
may become living nation once more
NOT a dying one. as she seems to be
now.-New York Press.
Thought Hanging Was Circus Act.
go out and see Earl hanging by
his neck UP in the tree. He's been
hangin' there. half hour and he's got
us all beat"
With that information from one of
his DldymdleS, MIS-. CTdIIeS "A. E.
Fisher of this city. rushed out to a
tree and there she saw her 9-year-old
son Earl hanging by his neck in the
fork of a shade tree at a. street curb.
A boy was sent up the tree and found
young Fisher unconscious, and he
did not regain consciousness for nearly
four hours.
Meanwhile It was discovered that his
right foot was badly burned. Investi-
cation showed that while young Fish
- HarsI -. l1.,% H.
stepped on an electric light wire where
the Insulation was worn off. the boy
was SO shocked that he was hurled
backward. The friendly fork of the
tree caught him.
His playmates thought that Earl
Fisher was showing them a new cir
Gus act and after they got tired of
Joking up at him they invited the
Fisher lads mother to see him hang
ing in the tree. The boy is in bed, but
is mproving.-Anderso Ind, dis
patch to Indianapolis News.