El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-17
COurtshipsW Wreck Marriages
FaIsehOOds Told by Ardent Lovers
Destroy the Dreams of
Trusting Brides.
Dorothy Dix

," HE supreme court has DECIDED
that any kind of a misrepre-
Il sentation goes in courtship, and
that if a young man tells a young wo-
man, as an inducement for marrying,
that he has plenty of money in the
, bank, a lucrative job and a good home
ready furnished to take her to that
the said young woman has no recourse
in law if she finds out that none Of
these things are true, but that they
are merely the pipe dreams Of some
modern Claude Lorraine.
In handing down the opinion the
justice said;
1T is well recognized principle
that, in the stale of mental eXalta-
ton accompanying cOurtship, state
ments made as to the mental, moral or
financial condition of the parties shall
not be too closely scrutlniZed, nor
shall they be held TO strict account
ability therefor"
This is not only the law. but II
is the commonly accepted view of the
matter. Men and women who are
otherwise honest and who would scOrn
to gamble with loaded dice or marked
cards 90 not hesitate to play the love
game crooked.
Men who would not inveigIe another
man into bUTineSS under false pre-
man into matrlmOny by means OF GIT
tering falsehoOds and misrepresenta-
tons.
Women whose consicences would not
allow them to deduct a year from the
age Of 4 horse they were trying to sell
take off ten or a dozen years from
their own ages when they are trying
to catch husband and near never
whimper from the still, small voice
Such Conduct Is But Deception.
ception in q woman to let the man
she IS expected to marry only see her
when she is painted and powdered and
waved and curled and dolled 10 in her
very best and most becoming clothes?
What else is Il but fraud that makes
q girl IN the days of cOurtShip act so
meek and mild that size makes patient
Griselda look like a termigant2 What
else does she run than a confidence
game when she agrees with every
thing her best beau says and breaks
her neck trying to please him IN
every way and gives HIM to under
stand that she considers him very
1ount OF wisdom2
What else is it than deception OF
the deepest dye for man " hen ne
is counting a girl to tell her that he
asks nothing in life but the bliss of
murmuring words Of undying love IN
her little shell like ear and holding
her little white hand in his. when he
knows that he'll drop the little white
mony is said over them as II It was
hot brick, and the most that the shell
like ears will ever hear again will be
his criticism Of her cooking
What is it but rank fraud for a man
when he is counting a girl TO shower
presents and theater tickets on her
and lead her to believe that her mat
rimOnial pathway will be strewn with
chocolate creams and violets, when he
knows that after marriage he viii row
with her over quarter for carfarc2
Talk about state regulation of mar
riagei What We need Is state reSu-
lation Of courtship and some law that
would make II a felony Tor any man
or woman not to give the party Of the
other part square deal. and not TO
let him or her at least know the kind
Of matrimonial bargain he or she
was making.
Would Discourage Divorce.
Of course ii would be a discOurageT
of marriage, but il would also be
discourager of divorce. Fewer people
might get married If they knew what
they were going up against IN reality
but more people would stay mar
Let John Jones. when he courts
Sally Smith refrain from dealing in
elittering generaIities and telling her
that ne will stand between her and
the cruel world, and no harsh wind
shall ever blow upon her, and that
his one thought viii be TO keep her
in a satin lined box Instead let him
say TO her;
sally, I am poor 7 only make SIS
a week, and If you marry me you will
have TO work and economic and wear
year before lasts clothes. In addition,
I've got n devil Of q temper. and you'll
need to have a strangle hold on your
patience and fOrbearance II you live
with me, but I love you, and I'm in
dustriOus and a hustler. and I'll do my
best to make YOU a good husband and
better and better living as the time
goes on"
It would be up to sally then to take
him or leave him, and shed know what
she was letting herself IN for If she
married him. and there'd be no justifi-'
cation in her whining thereafter over
the lot of poor. mans wife.
Glimpse Of the Real Girl.
And let Sally. when John comes
ACQUIRING. give him a real glimpse OF
the real girl as she's going to look
when she settles down to a domes-
ITCHY that is minus the aids of the
toilette table. Let her exhibit herself
TO John in her working dress. with
her sleeves rolled up and her hair
her nose or rouge on her cheeks. and
If she looks good to him then, he is
safe in making the bargain.
Likewise let her give him a sam
pie Of her temper and her tongue and
ner bOssiness in time for him to with
draw If he doesn't think that they
would suit him for daily consumption. !
It's the lies of courtship that lie
at the bottom Of most Domestic infe- !
licity, and if men and women would be
honest with each other before mar