Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-08

edent being Established in the state of
Kansas. The divine right of man to de-
| sert his wife whenever she becomes un-
| able or unwilling to support him is in
danger This is not a legal danger, but
one of those advanced and ethical ideas
which some times cause so much pain and
lsufferng. The Kansas City folk are try
ing to introduce marriage under bond
The bonds of matrimony are not the sort
intended for the new bond is an insur-
ance against desertion. There are several
ways of inflietng it upon the poor but
honorable young man. One of these is by
note of hand.
You want to marry my daughter" says
the parent with the ethical idea Every
good, young man; sou can marry her IL
you will arrange now for her support
when the time comes for you to desert
her. You can sign a note for $1,000 in her
favor and leave it with her people to be
used against you in case YOU ever leave
guess that you have the parental con-
sent if you have the thousand" But the
idea is capable of development. The
young man may be put under bonds in
many ways, London Lloyds or otherwise,
which will make desertion luxury which
few can enjoy. Infamy and culture and
advanced thought are rapidly crushing
the young man out of matrimony.
And even in dear old London the bor-
oughs are offering fiattering rewards for
the absconding husband. Nowhere in the
world do husbands disappear more regu-
ary than in London. The obstacles
which surround divorce its prohibitive
cost. and the limited ground upon which
it can be obtained make it necessary for
the modsh young man who wishes to dis
continue matrfmony to do SO by means
of the fire escape.
The result is that London annually pays
out $4,000 for the support of deserted
women and children. But the authorities
have decided to increase their advertise
ing appropriation and to make the grace
graceful art of wife desertion as difficult
and dangerous as desertion from the
army.
The only rift in the clouds of prejudice
and regulation which frown round mar
riage is found by the American man in
the proposal to tax International mar
riages The foreign counts will have to
carry weight if bills introduced in Con-
gress recently become law The dowry
will be clipped for % per cent of its rich
ness. American girls have taken 5000
100000 abroad The retention of one
fourth of this dowry would constitute a
blight and frost upon the International
industry and RlaiwAmericans may see
the time whea Arssaceasional American
millonairess wiiiyRarry at home rather
than remain single. But the regulation
would be just mean. for the poor girls
can't be happy without an imported
count 1t is along the general line of
restriction and interference.
Even the French arc busy. Trial mar
riages sound good until you try them.
All marriages are trials, but a trial mar
rage as it is attributed to Aristide BRAND
would be an awful test. If the young
man likes his wife and wants to keep her
think of the strain. the anxiety with
which he must live until the trial period
is past and he can loosen up a little and
say "Drat it" when the pancakes are
burned.
The trial plan as proposed also provides
for A legal ARRANGEMENT so that in case
the party of the first part and the party
of the second part decide to dissolve part
nership they can do so with just divis-
ion of the firm property This seems a
fatal blemish. To leave behind an undo
srable wife who has not come up to her
recommendations is all right, but to leave
behind half your property seems an 1ntol-
cradle thought when you could take 1T all
by dropping out the window some night
with a certified check in your pocket.
There is also this dsagreeable talk
about the marriage of detectives. Just
because man is a little foolish in his
mind. is that any reason why he should
be barred? There are hundreds of crazy
men who are getting good money for 1t.
Would the girls like to have these men
ruled out, automobiles and all, Just be
cause they happen to be queer in their
thoughts? And some crazy men are
awfully liberal. They started on corners
and throw away money and they can pc
persuaded to leave large blocks OF cou-
mons i'm their trousers pockets at night
There are hundreds of objectionable bus
offered in Legislature along this line.
Recently Congress was actually on the
noint of ruling out all imbeciles. feeble
minded persons. epieptics and insane
men and women Such law IS already
in existence in Ohio Connecticut Kan
sas. Michigan and Minnesota, 1t Is hlgh
time the men and women mentioned III
these laws should get together and form
a protective association.
A new society has sprung up IN ENG
land. Something appears to be the mat
tor with the human race over there. Inc
Enelishmen with advanced scientific
minds have got together with the idea
that present athletic records can be made
IN look foolish if the great big, fine speci-
mems of manhood and no others are al
lowed to marry. These pernicious per
sons want to limit matrimony. They say
a Young man with a five-inch chest and
a soft spot for chin is not entitled to
become the father of his country or any
part of it. They say that while the fig
and the horse and the paper shelled pecan
have been developed and cultivated into
noble beings. the groeer's boy is still like
~ to have the spinal column of string
bean The whole human family, they
maintain, has one foot in the grave and
the other on banana peelng.