Evening journal., 1916-01-20
maryland HITS
MARRYING Parsons
Senator Williams Offers Bill
to Put Curb on Their
Activities
WOULD STOP
FEE SPLITTING

ANNAPOLIS. Jan. 20-Feeling' eNl-
dently. that if the marrying parsons
of Elkton. Maryland's Gretna Green
cannot be put completely out Of busi-
ness they ought to be suppressed as
much as possible Senator Williams
yesterday introduced a bill making il
misdemeanor for any minister OF
the gospel or other persons i'm Cecil
county authorized to perform the
marriage ceremony to directly OF in
directly give any fee or thing OF value
to any person as an inducement to
bring or direct any persons contem-
plating matrimony to him for the
purpose of having him unite them in
wedlock. The penalty prescribed in
the bill for violation Of its provisions
is a fine from $40 to $50. the offender
to be confined in Jail until the fine
and costs are paid.
Elkton. as good many people
know, is the Mecca OF hundreds OF
runaway couples who lind II conVen-
lent to go there 20 he. married. Ihey
come there from all sections OF the
East Only a short while ago the
more or less celebrated Eugenia Kelly
and a professional dancer OF New
York went there and had themselves
made one.
Warfare For Business.
Senator Williams declined to go into
the WHY'S and whorefores OF his bill,
but in his paper. the Cecil Wing, he
has repeatedly deplored the way in
which the "cloth" Is being disgraced
and the town is being given an un-
savory nOt0rieiy by the marrying
parsons" OF Elkton. of whom there are
said to be several who wage very
active warfare for business.
Il is said that shortlyafter hlkton
began TO acquire its reputation as a
marrying town. tho ministers who ca
tered TO runaway couples saw a
chance TO make real money and took
advantage Of il by paying cab drivers
and others TO pilot couples to their
places of business. AT first the fec
TO cab drivers and the like was %
cents pcr couple Then a more mer-
cenary parson raised the price to 5O
cents. Finally the fee was boosted to
ST.
Parsons in a "Combine"
As ihr story Is told, the marrying
ministers. mot liking the idea of giNm
up such a large percentage of their pa
for ticne hc commhial knot. finally 80
together and reduced the Tee paid To ga
drivers for showing the way to matr
monially bout couples To- % cents. IN
this Is supposed to he the prevailing i'
at the present time.
Ouc of the ministers. apparently witt
out Thought of how it sounded. is sal
TO have complained oi the way IN whie
the cab drivers were holding him up an
10 have spoken his mind TO hrothe
minister who compete, with him and {
other However that may I've, II is sal
the fight for business of this sort Is sti
going ON.
Senator Williams was once ministe
himself. and has some very decided idea
about the propriety OF preachers con
ducting what amounts 10 nothing mon
or less than marriage bureaus. Upon on
OCCASION ne ia said To have told ceriai
Of ths Flkton ministers that. IT the
proposed to 20 ahead and marry ever
couple that came along. they ought
resign their pastoratcs and set mp sho
for What they are
Just how many couples are marric
in Elkton each month is not known, hl
the number Is said TO run well up inf
The hundreds. The clerk OF the Ce,
County Circuit Court claims TO folio
the law to the letter IN issuing license
but nevertheless the business is gro'
ing. u Is just probable that anoth
bin viii bc offered IN the Legislatu
to curb the activities Of the marryil
parsons further than senator William
bin proposes TO curb them. That is
matter 10 be thrashed out.