The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1915-07-23


1908 ............... IT. 1221913 ..........2105 2
1909 ............T. 716194 ................17245
THE charge is made quite general.
ly throughout the state that the en-
forcement of the so-called eugenics
marriage law is responsible in large
measure for the decline in the number
of marriages. This charge, we be-
lieve, is not wholly justified. On &C.
count of the great prevalence of ven
ereal disease in the state it Is. only
reasonable to expect that there would
be some decline in marriages on &C.
count of the inability on the part OF
the prospective groom, who is afflicted
with disease, in obtaining a medical
certificate. Undoubtedly, some of the
parties who were unable to pass the
required examination or who suspect
ed that they could not pass the ex-
animation, went out of the state to be
married, and in other cases the COM
mon law marriage was resorted to.
1T would, of course, be unjust to
charge that all the grooms who went
out of the state to be married, or who
evaded the law by contracting COM
mon law marriage, were afflicted. In
some cases the parties felt the eu.
genics law was serious infringement
on their personal liberties and were
married outside of the state in order
to avoid its provisions. In other cases
the comon law marriage was resorted
to by perfectly healthy people.
For the calendar year of 1914. TWEEN
ty-one marriages Of persons who were
residents of the state and who left the
state to be married, but later returned
to Wisconsin to reside, were reported.
This is only small per cent of the
actual number of such marriages for
the reason that the various local
registrars throughout the state, who
are required under the existing law to
supply such parties with marriage
blank upon their return to this state.
did not do so.
For the calendar year of 1914.
eighty-seven common law marriages
were solemnized in various parts of
the state. Were 1t not for the recent
decision of the supreme court uphold
ing the legality of this sort of mar.
rage, unquestionably there would have
been but a very few such marriages.
Many parties took this method Of
evading the law TO. the reason that a
medical certificate could not be OBJ
tanned and they would have been re-
quired to postpone marriage until such
time as a clean bill of health could
have been furnished. All will agree
that this is very desirable even though
it had resulted in slight decline in
the number of marriages occurring in
the state Thoughtful persons who
know of the ravages of venereal dis
eases will agree that the actual num-
Der of marriages occurring in the
state during any given period of time
is not nearly so important to our
posterity as the general healthfulness
of the contracting parties.
'It would be entirely misleading to
charge that practically all Of the de-
cline in the lumber of marriages re-
ported for 1914 is due to the operation
or the GuS0IlCS ludIIldS6 law. OtoII0O
tics compiled by many other states
and several of the foreign countries
show that extending over period OF
time, there is a marked decline in our
marriage rate. This factor must be
considered in making proper deduc'
ton from the figures presented. The
industrial depression which has been
upon us for more than a year is also
responsible in large measure, we be-
lieve, for the decline in marriages.
"The educational value of the eu-
genics marriage law should not be
lost sight of in considering this sub
iect. A more fruitful campaign of ed
ucation could not have been waged
throughout the state than through the
passage and enforcement of this law
and it remains for the legislature to
determine whether or not the law
should be amended in several impor-
tant parts or entirely repealed"