Evening journal., 1915-02-11

"MARRYINC PARSONS" AND THE GORMLEY LAW.
TNHERE must be re-esiabshment in this city Of
Il the malodorous marriage mill which, prior to
the enactment OF the Gormloy Marriage law years
ago constituted affront American civilization
Public sentiment is Overwhelmingly opposed to any
weakening of that law for the benefit Of preachers
with itching palms who would like to have it nufed
by trikin from IL the time-lim feature from which
Il derives its greatest potcntality
lt Is pleasing to note that only few preachers here
are in favor of a return TO old conditions. Most of
them think our city is we'll rid of something that
scandalizod a community that should have been
scandalized especially by men of the cloth whose
calling should have impeled them to have a higher
regard for a community in which they posed the
representatives and advocates the best things in
gious social and civic life.
within the last week several things have occurred
that show that there arc many preachers i'm Whining
ton who bitterly opposed to return to old mar
riage-mill conditions. For instance. the Rev E L.
Honecker Superintendent Of the Wilmington District
of the Wilmington Methodist Episcopal Conference
came out in letter in which he denounced those
preachers who seeking nullify the Gormey law
That was followed by meeting OF the Methodist
Preachers Association in which the question was dis
cussed and laid until the meeting for further
consideration Yesterday the Interchurch Federation
of this city met and adopted resolutions protesting
against any changes being made in the law The So
cal Service Club also has record against the
legislative schemes of the Marrying parsons and their
friends Individual expressions of opinion relative
to those who seeking to bring about return to
old marriage-mll conditions heard all sides and
they are far from complimentary
1t asserted that one'of the Wilmington preachers
swho would like to have the Gormey law omascuated
by removing the timelmit feature cleared S11OO from
marriage fees alone in the year preceding passage
that law. II also is rumored that another Whining
ton preacher who looked upon as the leading mat
rimonal miller ground enough grst before Governor
Miller and Senator Gormey closed the mill to buy
several houses
It is not surprising that preachers who look upon
marriage money making institution chafe beneath
the restrictions of the Gormloy envy their un-
restricted brethren who working overtime in the
Elkton marriage mill. They should not forget how
ever that vast majority of Wmingtonans and Della
wareans look upon the estate of matrlmony being
eomethng more than a money -grubbing proposition
for the benefit of handful preachers who have
higher regard for the almighty dollar than they have
for the clerical Offices they hold Further they should
remember that if they reconcile themselves TO
the Delaware conception what marriage means
there is quarantine between this State and the
other States dissatisfied preachers and that the
way is wide open for them to- seek new fields where
the so-caled marriage parsons" may be looked upon
with less dsfavor than they in own little COM
monwealth. which already has suffered entirely too
much through their practices