The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-24
0l
MARRIAGE Rites
EPISCOPAL nIxrsrERs SIGN
|. AGREEaGENT 10 FoSTER
EUGENIcAL MATING.
OTHERS ACT LATER
MINISTERIAL UNION POsTPocEs
DECISION UNTIL FURTHER CON-
FERENcEs CAN HE HELD
WITH CHURCHES.
OTHERS ACT LATER

and safety OF women was advanced
yesterday by the public statement Of
thirteer cf the twenty Episcopal min.
listers of Richmond that they would
require OF every man desiring to have
the marriage ceremony performed by
them a certificate from the famil,
physician Of the bride, testifying tt
his freedom from diseases OF imnora
origin and hv the favorable constdcra.
ton given the question by the Rich
mond Ministerial Union yesterday
morning.
The thirteen ministers referred ia
have signed an agreement to require
such q certificate after October /,
1913. The ministers OF the city
union took no definite action at the
called meeting yesterday, preferrins
to walt Until each minister could con-
fer on the matter with their de-
liominational conferences.
Prefer To Wait.
Nevertheless. number Of them
signed the agreement made by the
Episcopal ministers and many others
expressed themselves as beins in
hearty favor with the movement.
Those who signed preferred not to
have tfeir signatures made public
until further conference with other
ministers OF their respective donomi-
nations. DR.. w. Russell Bowie, OF
st. Paurs Episcopal church, said last
night. that these ministers repre-
scented every denomination in the
city
The Episcopal ministers. said DR..
Bowie, have discussed the question in
more detail than those Of other de
nominations and are therefore better
prepared to oct Tire others wish ia
give it further consideration and to
take counsel OF their respective
churches before acting. The weekly
UNCONVENTIONAL conference, for the
greater part, have been discontinued
for the summer and accordingly the
ministers of other than the Episcopal
denominations will not have any
statement to make until early in the
fall, 1t was for this reason that the
Episcopal ministers decided to an
nCunce their intention to follow the
suggestion @of the church councils
that the medical certificate mentioned
be required. The agreement signed
by the thirteen ministers of the
church. end opposed by two or three
ut the meeting of the ministerial
union yesterday. is as follows:
The Episcopal Resolution.
I'VE, whose names are signed be-
low, holding the ideal OF purity TO be
OF right as sovereign for men as fur
women:
Recognizing that the finest men
In every rank and ealing homer this
deal: but deeply moved by the can
trosting fact OF that ignoble tolerance
among too many which ignores this
sirgle standard and condones in men
carelessness of morals which every
chiyalrous instinct should condemn;
Knowing that immortality among
men leads to physical diseases:
And knowing, further. that these
diseases are often transmitted to the
women who in innocence and purity
marry mer whose lives have thus
been tainted, as the shocking facts to
which physicians and surgeons in this
city. as in other places, will testify.
give proof;
Therefore, in order that we may
do our utmost to prevent these ply
steal tragedies. and, further, that we
may lift up the standard of new
crusade against the shame of that in
difference to personal purity among
men which makes these tragedies
possible,
I'VE are resolved, That after Oc-
tober J., 1918. we will perform the
marriage services of our respective
churches only when the man to be
married shall have secured from the
family physician of his intended bride,
or from some other physician certi-
fed to by the brides physician, a GER
tificate of his freedom from a cum
n1unicahlc disease OF immoral origin.
And we call upon all fathers and
mothers to interpret Alright and to
support this position we shall occupy:
and especially do we summon all that
great number OF men, to whom be-
cause Of their pure lives the require
ment we have outlined might seem a
needless Inconvenience. to bring the
power of their unselfish cooperation
to the side Of this endeavor. to make
more commanding the ideal Of purity
for ALL"
Those Who Signed.
The following signatures, are at
tAched to the agreement: w. Russell
Bowie. st. Pauls church; W. M.
Clarke. st. James: S. Roger Tyler. st.
Marks: James w. Morriss, Monument
tai: Frank A. Ridout. st. Thomas: J.
Earnest Warren, Meade Memorial: ].
Lewis Gibbs. Church of the Good
Shepherd: M. s. Eagle, Christ church:
A. Vaughan Colston, Holy Comforter;
Earnest Earle Osgood. Emmanuel;
William A. Pearman. assistant at st.
Paul's: Zebulon s. Farland. st. Stew
ems: g. p. Craighill. Epiphany. Dr.
Clark stated that he would not in
augurate this course OF action until
after January 1. 1914.
At the meeting OF the Richmond
Ministerial union at the z. M. c. A.
yesterday. morning the subject was
discussed at length. The general