The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-26
WOULD WE'D YOUNG
Mrs. Victor Murdoch, Wife of
Congressman, Gives Views.
Youthful Marriages Proper if
Conditions Are Right.
CITES HER OWN CASE
She Was Sixteen and Husband
Nineteen Years Old.
Does Not Favor Universal Suf-
frage Movement.
CITES HER OWN CASE

| brightest and most attractive women
of the Kansas congressional delegation
in Washington is the wife of Victor
Murdoch, who represents the Eighth
district in the house. She is entirely
absorbed with her husbands life work
and ambitions. Incidentally, she IS a
woman Of unusual interest in many
ways.
when one has what the public is
pleased to call romance in the fam
lily chronicles" said Mrs. Murdoch, I
find that it awakens a keen interest.
| And this is not only among women Wfo
! are presumed to be sentimental and to
have a proper regard for the game of
| hearts, bur also among men, and TO
whom the antics Of the little blind god
are not usually appealing. Mr. Muir
lock and I fell in love so young that it
| looks now as if l must have always
| looked on him as the man fate had
picked out. We went to school as chill
! dren to the same academy, and il
should say how young l was when 1
decided to marry him I am afraid it
must demoraliZe the rising generation
and get all the parents incensed that
should acknowledge such juvenile 1clly.
My parents thought exactly as l 40
", and as I suppose the majority of
parents all over the world view the
calf loves of their offspring.
They frequently scolded me severe
I
suggested that it would be wise if a q
ceived some education and knowledge
of things domestic before [ considered
| the grave proposition of becoming
| young Victor Murdock's wife 1 listened
obediently and really tried to do as |
was hidden. I even consented to away
| to boarding school, and this was as
much for my youthful lovers sake as
my own. You see, it was pointed out
| that Victor should be given a chance
/ 70 Ii oil ~ q
| distraction of calling frequently on
/ sweetheart.
We both finished our studies in the
little academy in Wichita. and from
! the school my husband went at once to
| his fathers paper, the Wichita Eagle.
| He was making good progress, but Of
| course, he was young and had to CIimD
/ upward slowly I acknowledged the in
/ justice Of distracting him from his
work and I went ave. to a boarding
| school in Indiana, making 4 brave ef-
fort to content myself with acquiring
| wisdom But my efforts were short
| lived. 1 found it impossible and 10y
| parents. with good sense and q real
desire for my happiness brought me
| home. and in a short time we married.
Mr.. Murdoch was 10 and ] was 16
Believes in Marrying Young.
4 am often asked if I approve of
early marriages and what I think is
| the general prospect of young people
! being happy when they wed in what is
regarded as an immature age. F.oia
my own standpoint. I believe in marry
ing young. and. of course. never do so
| except from the strongest devotion and
| because you simply cannot live without
| the man you love. Then l believe that
| one must be very young to love thal way.
In later years come more selfish con-
| siderations. Certainly my mar 'iage
has been happy. and if I had varied
! until [ was passed 80 I should have not
| accomplished more toward mutual hap
! piness and success in the sense Whicn
married happiness means. But then I
would not like my daughter to think
about marrying at Is. I should SHRINK
| from her assuming such grave respon-
| sibiHties at the age when she is just
| budding into girlhOOd. and when her
1 life should be care-free and full of sun
shine. In the present era marriage
seems a considerable risk, no matter al
what age it is undertaken I can real
ize many objections to such e;srIy
/ unions as mine. That it has terminated
so happily is really the wonder that
most of Mr.. Murdocks biographors
think it. He has way of telling those
who question him that he married very
! young, that he and his wife we're
1 couple of babes. but that he is stil
married to the same wife and that we
have both acquired wisdom win age
and experience in every department Of
domestic science.
ION the whole I am inclined to
think it is better to wait a little time
| before rushing into matTim ony- Life
/ is more complex now than It was in
Kansas about twenty years ago. Young
people as a rule, do not wish TO make
small beginnings and competition is so
strenuous that to begin any sort OF
life without a thorough training for it
| is to court disaster. I believe in get
ting good education and a. much of
1t as one possibly can. That, of course,
1 does not mean always to go through
/ college or spend much time in school
rooms Many men can educate them
selves but the training in colleges and
high schools helps great deal. I
look with appreh or the lessen
ling influence of the marriage bond
view the ease with which divorce is
sought and granted with a grave fear
for the future. But the age at which
to marry is only one phase O the ques-
ton. It is disheartenins to note that
as many marriages contracted young
and from ideal motives terminate by
law as those in which the principals
are actuated by less worthy considera-
tions and who took on the vows in
later years
Not an Equal Sulfragfst.
Now. this question brings up one
which is creating endless discussion in
my home state. as it is in every state
/ of the Union and seemingly in all the
civilized countries of the globe Wheth-
er the interest which women are mani
Testing in public affairs and their de-
sire to direct the national destiny
have anything to do with the unrest
observable all along the line. I do not
know Many eminent pukiicists believe
that the increase of divorce is largely
due 10 the fact that American woman
has deserted her proper sphere in the
home. has in a way uncrowned her
self in the supreme effort to reach
civic equality with man.
''The subject is too broad TO discuss
adequately and to consider from all
points of view. Those VIII say this
{ IF 2