The Irish standard., 1915-11-20
Vital Statistics and Marriage

vital OtdtlStlc$
Vital statistics in Europe and Amer.
lea indicate that the number of those
who enter the state of matrimony ia
alarmingly on the decrease. Various
speculative reasons are assigned to
account for this deplorable state of
affairs. and while all of them are not
we'll founded, nevertheless a contem.
plation of most of them cannot but
have salutary effect on the world
views of the younger generation.
Is the woman of the present to
blame? It would be an injustice to
maintain that women are solely re-
sponsible for the fact that men re-
gard marriage, at the present day,
less desirable than in former times.
The principal reason why SO many
even well situated young men do not
marry, consists in the circumstance
that they are selfish and lack the
spirit of sacrifice. A ready DISPOSE
ton to make sacrifices is necessary
condition precedent for marriage
both for man and woman, but par
ticularly for the latter. These odious
characteristics of so many young
men, their self-centered selfishness
and lack of sacrificing spirit, are an
upshot of faulty home training. With
out overlooking certain Objectionable
phases in the education of girls, it
cannot be, denied that in one respect
their training is more severe than
that of the boys. Girls are early in
duced to subordinate themselves to
the men folks and to lend helping
hand when the occasion demands
whereas little or nothing is expected
by way of self-denial from the boys.
Thus it is that their egotism grows
apace. They fancy that they are lords
of the universe, and assume an atti-
tude of lofty condescension toward
their sisters, instead of maintaining
chiva1rous and respectful demean.
or. They grow up to be young men.
Matrimony means limitation of
spheres of interests; it means the as
sumption Of responsibilities, the max
ing of sacrifices; but our present day
youths, who have been brought up to
think that they are the centers of the
universe, seem to feel discinclined to
assume these responsibilities, or to
make the necessary sacrifices.
Moral considerations of a serious
nature are also involved. The num-
Der is growing of those young men
who abstain from marriage in order
that they may have the pleasure of
trifing luxuries. They prefer to be
free for the joys of cigarets and bill
lizards rather than undertake the bur-
den of marriage with it's greater joys.
Such choice is nothing but low, un.
worthy selfishness.
More important, however, is the case
where the young man finds the single
life of constant temptation to i'm
purity. Then must he seriously turn
his attention to marriage as his sal
walton. 1T is better to marry than
burn" And it is the best of all to
marry early, before bad habits are
formed. The number of unhappy
homes, caused through youthful in.
discretion before marriage, is appall-
ing. It were better, therefore, to mar.
ry, even with poverty in prospect,
than to lead single life continually
falling.
In justice to a vast number of
splendid young men, it must be said
that selfishness is not the only mo.
tive that deters the youth of the day
from entering the state of matrimony.
Our present state of civilization, with
Its increased material comforts, pre-.
supposes that a young man about to
marry has the certainty that he can.
not establish and maintain house.
hold. The fact Of the matter is that
the social inequalities of the day are
most pronounced in the wage relation.
insufficient wages, unemployment and
uncertainty Of future economic exist.
ence, are labor-lots. Many thoughtful
young men hesitate to take such a
serious step as marriage involves
without having assured themselves
that they have steady and adequate
income, and that future prospects are
good. Thus there is tendency today
to postpone the time when the young
man finally decides to marry.
AS has already been intimated, Ger.
tain faulty practices in bringing up
girls are also responsible, in a GER
tain degree, for mans disinclination
to become married. Girls who devel.
op into maturity without knowledge