Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-24

!. +" - ssSb cuter IuI0 any fur-
.ner aTsument tn regard to this bill
beyond telz1ng you a circumstances
witch haDpeued il my practice not
ny MOONS go. A young woman
.WAoUe parents 7 have known III NV
H1A nsnr1Z went to New York 10
ste9sh = dsaf and Iunrb school Of
sasaG children. She. came ilome and
maxriS1 and came to me mot two
months 49, with a s6re an hrr lin
UNI staafabiy s0nistktng tI1st. traced
p d0Aaing from one Of those children
who ~ tA the habit OF kissing her
mornings when sf1e came fnfo the
schoolroom. Her husband TODAY. in a
Letter which 7 have 10 pFayinasfor
twO Things: One Is that their unborn
child shall be dead, the other that
this bill goes through.
Mr.. HINCKLEx of 60. Portland:
Mr.. Speaker, 1t seems to me that the
nature and effect of this disease are
too we'll known at this time to need
any discussion. think that every
member Of this House recognizes this
fast, that NO man or woman has a
moral right t.. contract marriage UNI
der these CIRCUMSTANCES: and If they
haye not the naoFal right, they should
not have the legal right I certainly
hope that the motion of the gentle
man from Belfast (Mr. BuzzelI) will
be defeated, and that this bill will.
become a. law, as
Mr.. BUZzELL: Mr.. Speaker, I Wish
TO say just q few more words on this
subject. I do not care to- get excited,
but I do want to express myself clear
~ how feel regarding this proposed
law. I have no horrible example that
I wish to present for your considers
ton, but ] want to tell you what we
have for a law today, and I-agree with
the gentleman from So. Portland (Mr.
Hinekleyl that this is a law today in
the State of Maine. NO person hav-
ing syphilis shall marry until he has
a certificate from the attending physi-.
clan or physicians that he as cured of
syphilis. The State Board of Health
is hereby empowered to make reguIa-
tions prescribing the method to be
employed" etc. Physicians shall
notify the health officer Of the inten-
item OF peSeons So affected to marry
! have heard something of the eondi-
tons Of our State so far as this dis
lease is Concerned. My point is, that
this law win be imperative, that it
will not meet the conditions, that it
will not be enforced. 1 recognize the
q "a lou scx dox7 to
troll the situation. We have a law
now which says that no person hay
ing syphilis shall marry until he has
la certificate. That is the law, but
what are we doing with this law?
Let me read what is proposed by this
new law: '"The clerk shall deliver to
the parties certificate specifying the
time when such intentions were en-
teHed with him; and shall be delivered
to the minister or magistrate before
he begins to solemnize the marriage:
but no such certificate shall be issued
to male under twenty-one, or to a
female under eighteen years. of age.
without the written consent of their
parents or guardians first presented,
|if they have any living in the State;
nor to a town pauper when the over
seers of such town deposit list of
their paupers with the Clerk" And
now comes in the proposed amend
ment. ."And no such certificate shall
be issued to any person until each of
the parties wishing to be married
shall file with the clerk a certificate
under oath by a physician in this
States stating that he or she is free
from syphilis; and for an intentional
violation of the foregoing prohibit
lions, or for falsely stating the resi-
dence of either party named in such
certificate such clerk forfeits twenty
dollars"
Let us make a slight analysis of
this law! And no such certificate
shall be issued to any person until
each Of the parties wishing to be
married shall file with the clerk 81
certificate under oath by physician
in this State" A person in Kittery
desiring to be married may go to
Fort Kent and find some doctor up
there, or some imaginary doctor, and
geti certificate. Who is going to
question whether the certificate was
actually made by doctor or not, and,
if made, who is going to enforce the
law? Are we not making one more
law because it appealssto sentiment,
because of. q horrible example set
forth and set up here for us to look
at? We can almost conceive how
that person looks. We all realize the
condition of that person, but are we
not adding just one more law to that
Statute book that Is bound to be moth
ing but perplexity to all of us. That
is the idea. Now is this going to do
any good? We have this law now
that says they shall not get married.
This goes one step farther and says
what they must do to get married. At
ter they are married what are you
going to do? Surprising a young man,
a poor boy, is keeping company with
a rich girl and they desire to be mar
ried. as most all couples do at that
stage Of the game, and he is not free
from faint. Can you not conceive
how that young man for the paltry
sum of thirty dollars might find some
physician In the State of MaineS-I do
not say alI;--who would not only
frank him through the marriage GER
emony, but take him clean and clear
to the grave? There is your situa-
ton.