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

ing considered by various state legis-
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 70 the
same feeling, bounties are being offered
for babies in other cOmmOnWealths-Or
will be, rather, if the bills go through.
Then the new hairpinS of women are
arousing indignation. No!mOre stillet-
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 it is red
or bubbly, and other liquors not quite
so expensive. There are some terrible
punishments for these.
It is in Delaware that perhaps the
crowning indignity has been heaped
upon bachelors, by not only proposing
|
same category with gypsies, which are
| also taxed The plain intent is to
brand bachelors as undesirable citi-
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 princi-
pal streets of the towns, fulfilling no
useful purpose in life, but as a natural
consequence there is a growing popu-
lation of spinsters, some of whom be-
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 q bill imposing tax on all
unmarried men over thirty years old of
so a year, the money thus secured to
be used as a pension or reserve fund
for the support of such SpinsterS as are
past forty years of age, who shall 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 a wife
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 appli-
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 a
bill 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 it 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
bachelors that have grown up there has
been due to a large extent to the fact
| that in times past there have not been
enough manageable American women
to go around. Many of the men went
out to the territory as miners and
ranchmen when there were very few
women there except Indians and Next
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
up homesteads and engage in other oc-
equations in the past few years, these
sturdy and heroic bachelors ought to
De bestirring themselves and showing
some gallantry to the fair new arrivals.
For this reason the legislature is about
TO impose a tax of $40 a 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 Of
opportunity in the past, and also hav-
ing been pioneers and assisting in
building up the territory in the early
days. it is considered that they should
he exempt from the cares and troubles
Of married life during their declining
years. On the other hand, widowers
who are used to this sort of thing will
be taxed S25 a year. unless they already
are maintaining a home and have chill
dren to support from a previous mar
riage
Illinois takes another view of the
bachelor menace. State Senator Sam
uel A. Ettelson is framing a bill to pre-
sent to the legislature which shall have
! the effect of marking bachelors so they
can be detected on sight, or, at least,
upon introduction. The title of Mis- |
ter is to be reserved for married men.
Some other designation is to be de- |
| vised for bachelors. If a bachelor is |
under p. and therefore harmless. he /
| may be called by the generic term of |
Master John Smith. or. if cry call |