Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-01-09
Supid's Aids Are Center OF Storm
At Rockville, Md.

Ishlne little hamlet. So serious in charac
ter is the rebellion that it now seem
' destined to be projected into the politica
; arena of the State.
wholesale marriages" during the las
year, which have gained the town tn,
name of "Gretna Green" must be banne,
by the State legislature declare the ICON
servatives, who have arrayed themselye,
, against the communitys marrying par
sons"
: wen make a political issue of it aAC
have the better element vote against thi,
promlscuous marrying of clippers in ou
town." they aver vehementIy.
Charges that Divorces by the score who
could not have been married in Washing
ton or Virginia have been made man anc
wife by the marrying parsons" come from
the conservatives"
mat young girls, pretty and refined
have been made the wives of rough ant
ugly" old men when they were not Of
sufficient age to know their own minds i:
another of the CHARGES.
Pointing to the court records, the pro.
testants against the practice show that 265
couples have been married in town during
the last year. They show that 1855 of these
ceremonies were performed by the Rev
Samuel R. White, a retired Baptist clergy.
man. fifty-one by the Rev. Frank M. Rich
ardson. the Methodist Episcopal clergyman
OF the community. and the rest by the Other
eight or ten divines scattered throughout
the town.
This agitation against me and my
brother minister, Mr.. White, has been
started as the result of a political fight,
declared the Rev. Mr.. Richardson to-day
in defense of the charges that he and his
acknowledgment marry all couples who
come to them with license.
ICY Cummings. one of the county's
political bosses. has friends who are at the
bottom of this thing. We ministers came
out against Cummings at the last election
for county delegate. and this is the means
his friends have of getting even"
DO you want this MANI Do you want
this woman? Then take her and you take
him" is declared by the conservatives" to
be the form used by one minister of the
community in marrying couples who come
to him with license. They declare this
usually is the only conversation had be-
tween the clergyman and the couple to be
made man and wife.
In defense of the ceremonies he has per-
formed, the Rev. Samuel White, retired
Baptist minister. joined with the Rev.
Richardson in declaring that the fight has
been started by political enemies. Like
Mr.. Richardson. the retired clergyman says
Surely, it is better to marry these young
people in most instances than to turn them
away"
Both clergymen explain why they have
practically monopolized the marriage BUSH
ness" by pointing to the fact that Rock
vile is near to Washington, has a court
house right on the car line, to which they
are the nearest ministers. And, all in all, is
more convenient for clippers than any other
place in this section of the country.
This influx of clippers during the last
year is due to the lax marriage laws of
Maryland" declares Mr.. Richardson. The
idea of permitting girls of sixteen to marry
The law should fix it so that woman from
outside of the State would have to be TWEEN
ty-one years to obtain license here.
ALREADY a bill has been drafted to
remedy this evil, and we who have mar
ried most of the clippers favor the legisla-
ton
Its a shocking condition of affairs" is
the manner in which the Rev. Thomas A..
HaughtOn-Burke. the Episcopal rector, pre-
faced his denunciation of the marrying
business"
why anybody with license can be
married in this town under the present
conditions. Old men, divorced and rough,
have been married here to girls hardly old
enough to know their own minds. These
girls have been of refined families. Can
you conceive what the outcome of such
marriages will be They will end in di-
vorces. Persons of such vast contrast can
not be happy.
This town was up in arms not very long
ago because | refused to marry a certain
man and young woman They did every
thing, used every influence to have me
marry them in my church, but | insisted
that they were not suited for each other,
especially as the man had been married
before. They were ultimately married by
one of those clergymen against whom the
protests are being made.
Something should be done to stop this
practice. 1t is causing the State troubles
untold. Some clergymen seem to think
that all that is necessary is for a couple
TO have a license. The minister should
make certain for himself. should satisfy
his own mind that the couple who appears
before him with license are in the eyes
of God suited for one another"
The Rev. John X. Henderson, the Pres
byterian clergyman'of the town, was ultra
conservative in summing up the situation
I'VE don't want to bring disgrace on the
fair name Of our town." he said. Its all
right to have the place known as Gretna
Green. We can't help having clippers COM
ing to Rockville. People are like sheep.
The town has had all kinds Of advertise
ment as a place where folks can be easily
married, and now that the tide has started
this way it is hard matter to stop it.
There are a lot Of stories being told
about the laxity of certain clergyman.
For my part know of no particular in
stance | could mention in which these
clereymen have been at fault. According
to statistics. two Of the ministers have mar
ried nine-tenths of the persons who have
come to Rockville during the year Of 1913.
TIT. -, ko,,o haan occaaionad nv the