The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-04-20

ing CONSIDERED Dy "dIlouS S'o'0 io9AS
! latureS.
There seems to be a very widespread
sentiment against what may be called
the growing bachelor nuisance. In five
states bills have been introduced to tax
bachelors or to place discriminating
marks upon them to indicate that they
are Sinking the burdens of life.
Probably as a companion wave TO the
same feeling, bounties are being offered
for babies in other commemorative
will be, rather, if the bills go through.
Then the new hairpins of women are
arousing indignation. Nosmore stlllet-
tos disguised as hathOlders, no more
medieval daggers masked in hair, they
cry. Only nine inches may be-and
will be if the measures pass.
Then there are bills against those
who daily with the wine when 1T is red
or hubby, and other liquors not quite
so EXPENSIVE. There are some terrible
punishments for these.
1t is in Delaware that perhaps the
browning indignity has been heaped
upon bachelors, by not only proposing
to tax them but by putting them IN the
same category with gypsies, which are
also taxed The plain intent is to
brand bachelors as undesirable cltl-
zens. to drive the gypsies out OF the
state of Delaware and to drive bache-
lors into the state of matrimony.
The down East state of Maine seems
thoroughly aroused over the bachelor
nuisance. Not only are large NUMBERS
of these complaisant selfish creatures
seen roaming up and down the princl-
nal streets of the towns, fulfllllng no
useful purpose in life, but as natural
consequence there is a growing popu-
lation of spinSters, some OF Wnom De
come public charges. In some villages
the old maids predominant to such an
extent as to give a gloomy atmosphere
to the entire place.
To remedy these signs of decadence
there has been introduced in the Maine
legislature a bill imposing a tax on all
unmarried men over thirty years old OF
so a wear, the money thus secured 10
he used as a pension or reserve fund
for the support of such spinsters as are
past forty years of age, who snail pre-
sent satisfactory evidence that they
have never received a satisfactory offer
of marriage.
The bill contains a provision that a
bachelor who can show that he has
made an honest attempt to get wire
by having proposed to at least three
women, or who has proposed to one
woman three times, shall be exempt
from the tax The spinSterS are also
supposed to have made a reasonable
effort to get a husband in order to be
eligible for a pension. If. on examina-
ton. it can be shown that an appll-
cant has received one or more fairly
good offers of marriage and has capri
ciously refused the suitors, she shall
| not be entitled to any of the bachelor
| fund.
In the Kansas legislature there is
hill pending to tax all bachelors over
! As wears old at the rate Of $25 a year
! The reason for this is that if a man
has not married by that time there Is
no hope of his ever marrying, and 1t Is
high time that he should be made to
assume some of the burdens of the
community. they say.
New Mexico has another phase of the
bachelor evil The large number OF
bachelors that have grown up there has
been due to large extent to the fac'
that in times past there have not beer
enough marriageable American Womer
10 go around Many of the men went
out to the territory as miners ant
ranchmen when there were very few
cans
But the legislators think that with
the large influx of educated and at.
tractive young women who have come
into the territory to teach school, take
I'D homesteads and engage in other oc'
equations in the past few years, these
sturdy and heroic bachelors ought tt
be bestirring themselves and showing
some gallantry to the fair new arrivals
For this reason the legislature is abou
to impose a tax of SO year on bach
elors between 25 and As years old.
| Those older than As it is not deemed
fair to tax, on the ground of lack o
opportunity in the past, and also hav
ing been pioneers and assisting il
J building up the territory in the earl!
be exempt from the cares and troubles
of married life during their declinin:
years On the other hand, widower
who are used to this sort of thing viii
be taxed s25 year. unless they alread.
are maintaining home and have chill
dren to support from a previous mar
riage.
Illinois takes another view of TIL
bachelor menace. State Senator Sam
uel A. Ettelson is framing a bill to pre-
sent to the legislature which shall hav
I. the effect of marking bachelors so the,
can be detected on sight, or, at least
upon Introduction. The title of Mis-
ter is to be reserved for married mer
] Some other designation is to be de
r yised for bachelors. If a bachelor i
J. under p, and therefore harmless, h
may be called by the generic term O
J. Master John Smith. or. If cry cal