The evening world., 1911-02-16

on record as opposed to the measure a
a letter setting forth It's objections.
Mrs. Richard Bent. chairman OF the
Legislative Committee. has been partic-
ularly active in opposition. Her ob)ec-
tons are based on the plea that the
proposed bill is contrary TO public
policy and that the laws present re-
quirements are sufficient.
To-day. according to Mrs. Bent II
a girl under eighteen weds a man under
twenty-one the consent OF all four par
ents is necessary. and this provision
furnishes adequate protection for foo'-
ish young people.
She Favors New Law.
Mrs. Margaret Holmes Bates. hrst
vice-president OF the Legislative League
and the author Of Paying the Piper.
an interesting and realistic novel OF the
present season, and OF a dozen other
books, does not agree with Mrs. Bent
and the Woman's Republican Club.
~ think the proposed law would be
a downright good thing" said Mrs.
Bates. who has the rare combination
OF the old-fashioned woman's charm
and the new woman's good sense. 1T
| NOuIu save "a a w VI 80 o"a
worry and would prevent a great deal
Of the ~unhappiness which results from
premature marriages. There should be
a provision making 1t a misdemeanor
for persons to perform the marriage
in the case OF a boy and girl
under the lega. age. and marriages
! contracted between such children should
be regarded as null and void. just as II
two little children OF eight and ten
years Of age should decide to get mar
ried.
"I nave known some early marriages
that resulted happily. but in the great
majority OF cases where a boy OF twenty
or SO marr.es a girl OF seventeen or
eighteen the man develops to a point
way beyond the woman. His broader
life gives him every opportunity to do
so, and unhapplness is the inevitable
result. How many professional men
can talk over with their wives the
things which interest them-the doctor
his difficult cases, the lawyer the fine
points OF his argument?
Would Raise Age Limit.
IT think twenty-five 10 the earli-
est age 1t which q man 10 At to de-
eide tho question Of his permanent
happiness In life, n even at
twenty-five he has to be very sure
or no will live to regret It. On the
whole, thirty 10 . better age.
"some girls are suficisntly ma
ture mentally ct twsnty-ons to
marry with . great chance Of hap
piness; others should wait till they
are twenty-five"
But" l objected, many women
marry at nineteen men whom they
would never think of at twenty-five.
when the critical faculty is more de-
veloped,"
Girls OF twenty-five may ne more
critical" Mrs. Bates agreed. but they
are also more tolerant. They UNDER
stand mon better and are more apt to
appreciate a good husband and a nice
home"
In other words. they are grateful"
/ suggested.
"Ycs, there is no other word that
describes Il so we'll" Mrs. Bates smll-
irgly assented. "Of course. there are n
great many women in our cities who
are comfortably sel%f-supporting and
who would be very foolish to marry Al
ali except to better themselves, l mean
stenographers making from SIS TO s25 a
week. know one very handsome
woman OF forty who has never mar
r!ed because the offers she received were
ali from men who earned about the
same salary she did. Any woman who
marries for love and doesn't regret IL
betiers herself. ! don't mean that
women should marry only for financial
betterment. But they should weigh ana
decide whether the step they contcm-
plate IS going TO add to their perma.
rent happiness.
a girl Of eighteen. a boy OF twenty
ore. is not capable OF deciding such a
matter, The worry and responsibility
OF their love affairs Is now entirely
upon the parents. II would be much
better II the State assumed It by pass
ing the bill which would make such
marriages impossible"