Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-01-25
NO LICENSE, NO WEDDING.
Bill on Senate Calendar Makes Mar.
riaqe Not so Easy.

Bill on Senate Calendar Makes Mar
riase Not so Easy.
1t is just impossible, says the Co
lumbia correspondent of the News and
| Courier, to get around the marriage
proposition once you are tied up in
South Carolina. Although 1T is easy
to have the ceremony performed (pro-
/ vided, always, of course, the girl is
found), 1t is hard to change the bar
gain.
Not meaning to make 1t any easier
to get away, but merely to make it a
little more difficult to get into the
meshes, Senaor Johnson introduced q
bill in the senate few days ago, pro-
| viding that marriage licenses should be
required in this state.
Perhaps, because Of the time hon.
| ored marital customs and laws In this
state, Senator Carlisle and a majority
of the judiciary committee reported
the bill favorably with the following
| amendment: Section 6. Nothing here
| in contained shall render any marriage
| illegal without the issuing Of IL
cense." This amendment practically
leaves the law as 1t Is, and at least
makes 1t just as easy to have the GER
emony performed.
But Senator Graydon, for the minor
ity, reported the bill unfavorably. The
matter will be fought out In the senate
when the bill is reached on the CAL
endar.
Senator Johnson's bill provides that
1t shall be unlawful for any persons to
contract matrimony within this state
without first procuring license; like
wise it shall be unlawful for anyone,
whomsoever (the bill says) to perform
the ceremony without said persons
having first delivered the license. The
penalty is a fine Of not more than 500,
nor less than $25 or Imprisonment for
not more than thirty days.
The bill does not say so, except by
intimation, Of course, that those who
do procure the license are to be impris-
oned for life.
How much does it cost to get mar
ried? This question touches the most
interesting feature Of the proposed bill.
Twenty five cents Is the answer. But
here is the provision that will catch
the runaways: "And a statement un-
der oath, or affirmation, to the effect
that the persons seeking to contract
matrimony are legally capacitated to
marry, together with the full name Of
the persons, their ages and their places
of residence" The clerk of court gets
the % cents, the man the girl, and the
girl the man.
The bill provides a form of the Ii
cense and the certificate to be filled in
by the one performing the ceremony,
and the clerk Of court keeps the rec
ords.
1t is said that conservation of energy
Is one Of the laws of nature, that mat
ter Is not destroyed. Then what be-
comes of the fines imposed for viola
tion of the act should 1t pass?
Section says that the fines shall be
paid into the county treasury for the
school fund of the county in which
the violation occurs. How do those
who were married benefit by this? II
Senator Carlisle's and the majority's
amendment is adopted and the mar
riage Is thus made legal, and there
should be something beside the fence
running around the house, that's where
in the benefit will come to tine couple
from the money paid into the school
fund And, perhaps. the boy will take
out a marriage license when he gets
grown up"