The Washington herald., 1912-03-25
AN9I-ELOPEMENT
BILL is ENDORSED
Prominent Lawyers and Clergymen
of District Give Views on Alb
clifton of Gretna Green Evil.

Strongly favorins the proposed bill OF
Delegate Andrew J. Cummings. OF Mont
gomery County, which is designed TO put
an end to elopements to Rockville. and
TO otherwise curb hasty and runaway
marriages. a number Of prominent law
yers and clergymen Of the District yes
terday gave their views on the measure.
1t was pointed out that approximately
50 per ceat OF the divorce cases In Dis
trict courts are a result OF elopements
or hasty marriages. and Il was asserted
that any measure which is designed to
put an end TO weddings OF this character
would be a boon 10 the community.
The bill PROPOSED by Delegate Cum
mings. and which he proposes to intro
duce shortly in the Maryland legislature.
provides In part that no person within
this State shall be Joined IN marriage
until a license shau have been obtained
from the clerk Of the Circuit Court for
the county in which the marriage Is TO
be performed, or II in Baltimore City.
from the clerk Of the Court Of Common
Pleas: or unless the names OF the par
ties intending to marry shall be thrice
published In some church or house OF
religious worship In the county where the
woman recides on three successive SUM-
days. by some minister or clergyman,
herein authorized TO perform the mar
riage ceremony, residing in said county
or city,"
The principal object of the bill is to
remedy conditions at Rockville and other
county seats near large citiee where in
discriminate administration OF the mar
riage law makes elopements easy.
Would BE n Good Thing.
undoubtedly be a good thing" said As
There should be some restriction on the
so-called Gretna Green marriages, which
nre OF such a frequent occurrence. Mar
riages of this character are a bad propo-
sitlon. II is an easy matter now for a
young couple 10 take 10Y ride to Rock
VILE or some other nearby town in
Maryland and get married, and We would
have less cases in the divorce courts
of this city II some restrictions were
placed on weddings OF this character. II
has been shown time and again that
elopements TO Rockville are a short route
to the divorce courts, and there would
not be so many nonsupport cases II the
marriage laws were a little more strin-
gent
THE provision in Representative Cum
mings' bill that publicity should be given
TO marriages for three weeks in advance
strikes me as a wise plan," said Charles
r. SdEuSi. Oedu Oh Nno NauOndl Law
School. 1T Is an old-time custom to
publish the bans OF marriage for some
time preceding the event, having Its basis
in religious proceeding, and l think IL q
good one. II is. of course. designed to
make public the forthcoming wedding. so
that II any one knows Of anything con-
cerning either party to the marriage
which should be brought TO the atten-
ton OF the other contracting party they
would have opportunity TO do so. Mar
riages ought to be made more difncult,
and II they were there would not be so
many applications for divorce brought
before our courts
Would Publish Bans.
II am heartily in favor Of the enact
ment OF a law to stop runaway and hasty
marriages. as suggested by Mr.. Cum
mIngs. a member of the State legisla-
ture OF Maryland" said James B. Green.
a prominent attorney OF the District,
and would suggest as a general founda-
tion upon which such a law may be
built the publication in a daily paper in
the county in which the parties reside
their intention 10 contract marriage. This
notice should be published two weeks
prior to the date OF the ceremony. A
notice Of this kind would not only put an
effective stop TO hasty and runaway mar
riages, but II would prove a serious OBJ
stacle also to bigamous marriages and
unions Of weak-minded persons.
THE young couple rush to the license
clerk. possibly Just before closing time,
TO keep II out OF the papers. Or they
run of TO Rockville or some other near
by Gretna Green. Cab drivers. taxieab