The Washington bee., 1909-06-12
Rev. DR.. II. S. Johnson's Strong
Utterances on Subject of
Ill-Advised Marriages.
POVERTY MARRIAGES DISAPPROVED
Boston Pastor Discourages Mating
on insufficient Earnings.-Those
with Communicable Diseases, In-
herited or Acquired, Should Re-
main Single.

| Boston, Mass.-"I will refuse TO
marry persons afflicted with con-
sumption or any hereditary or COM
municable disease if have personal
knowledge Of such ailments exist
ing, and | am also opposed to mar
rytng divorced people, except in the
case Of the innocent party" said
Rev. DR.. Herbert s. Johnson, pastor
OF the Warren Avenue Baptist
| Church, In this city.
Il do not think II advisable to
marry young couples who are in poor
/ circumstances. l believe, through
observation and consultation, that
a prospective bridegroom should
have an earning capacity of at least
| SIS a week before he should con-
slider the matrimonial venture This
| statement, of course, does not ap-
| ply in all cases, for there are always
exceptions, but l think the union Of
| persons in the middle class IN this
country, who are in poor circum-
stances, creates nothing but a hell
[ on earth.
when ] made the statement some
time ago from the pulpit of my
church that l would marry any cou-
pie that wanted to get married If
they did not have the marriage fee,
my remark was facetious one, made
| half in Jest and half in earnest, but
| l will gladly perform the ceremony
| for any unfortunate couple that
| might have sinned, free of cost, If
they apply to me and give evidence
Of good faith. 1t is a pitiable sight
| IN large city to see a young girl
/ carrying babe on her arm without
| a husband to show his love, or a
father to provide for her and her
offspring.
| 81 was, perhaps, led to make the
| statement that / would marry all
| such couples that applied to me
| through a case that came to me not
long ago. Our church is so situated
In the heart Of the city that practi-
| ability is our chief aim. became
interested in a young giE who had
sinned, and I appeared in court in
| her behalf. She was dressed in
mourning and carried her babe on
her arm. It developed that when
| her aged mother learned of the sin
and disgrace Of her daughter, she
committed suicide by throwing her
self into the river. And that is why
| | stand ready to help uplift the sin
ners that are making a struggle to
| live an upright and honorable life,
and our church will assist them in
every reasonable manner, such as
finding employment for the husband,
| etc.
Now as to the marriage of young
girls and fellows In meagre circum-
| stances. There has been and is con-
stantly being brought to my atten-
| tiOn cases Of hasty marriages when
neither person is In a financial con-
| ditiOn to warrant their marriage.
| Fifteen dollars a week Is little
enough to defray the expenses Of
a home with its furnishings, its doc
tors and nurses bills, the support
Of children and the mite that should
be given to charity by all Christ
| ians. OF course, when l place the
weekly salary at $15 I refer only to
the middle classes, that is Irish-Am-
| ericans, or those OF AnglO-SaXOn ex-
traction, and so forth. I don't refer
to the lower class of people from
| Europe who can exist on much less.
And in regard to persons afflicted
| with tuberculosis or other diseases
of a hereditary nature to which man
and woman are subject, 1t is my be-
lief that a man or woman unfOrtU-
! nate enough to be effected with COM
| municable diseases should be unself-
| ish enough when they are aware Of
| these diseases existing to be content
to merely love the man or woman
and not ask one TO have whole lives
blasted. 1t Is & terrible thing to
| have children born into this world
with the taint Of disease upon them.
Yet there are a great many mar
| riages In this country in the course
| Of the year when one or the other
of the contracting persons is a vic
tim OF some communicable sexual
{, disease, and Is the cause OF much
| misery and the loss to the United
| States OF millions of dollars.
Il will not marry persons whom
know are afflicted thusly, and II
there is any Suspicion In my mind
will ask them frankly about the
matter. A man should be as unself-
ish and sacrificing IL such matters
as the soldier or the fireman or the
hundreds Of other heroes, and 1t is
their duty TO humanity as well as
to their country that they cast aside
all thoughts Of marriage when they
know they are united to become
husbands and fathers.
Il have steadfast1y refused to mar
~ divorced persons, unless in the
cases Of the innocent persons. There
are innumerabIe cases of innocent
persons being divorced through No
fault OF theirs and they should not
! be compelled to suffer for the sins