The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-01-12


cult Court of Allegany County
Does Not Agree With the Pass
ing of Proposed Laws Govern
ing the Marriage of Out-of- State
Couples Who Come To Maryland
To Be Married.
To the Editor of The Republican.
In your paper of December 18th,
notice an article entitled, "Blame
State and Church for Acts of Blue
beard" which brings forth this letter
to you.
Reverend Brock and Reverend
Hodge seem to think the fault of
"this man Bluebeard" can be attrib-
uted to the State, the church and the
different Clerks of the Circuit Court
but I can not see for the life of me
why they give us the credit for the
crime committed by the aforesaid
"Bluebeard" or anyone like him.
1t has always been the custom of
this office to try in every way to CO.
operate with the Ministerial Associa-
ton and the Legislature of the State
of Maryland, and 1 really believe if
these reverend gentlemen would take
the time to go to any clerks office in
the State and see how licenses are is
sued, then follow it up to the time
the ceremony has been performed and
recorded, they would have a different
slant on the operation.
l, and think all the other clerks of
the State, are against any legislation
in reference to time whereby a cou-
pie must remain in town after having
once secured license before getting
married, because in my mind it would
create condition of common de-
bauchery and lewdness that would be
hard to overcome.
We always put couple under oath
and ask the usual questions. Where
we have any doubt about their age,
we go so far as to ask them when they
were born and check up on the dates.
If within the law of 81 for the man
and Is for the girl we issue the H.
cense. If divorced in some out of
State court we ask to see copy of
the divorce decree and other ques-
lions prescribed by the laws of the
State of Maryland.
So far as hygienics, there is no law
in the State of Maryland covering
this question (although we might
have our own private opinion).
And so far as the self-styled
friends and advisers" they have no
place in our office. Of course if a
taxicab man comes into our office,
that is his business, as he is licensed
to do so by the laws of our State and
community, but not allowed to solicit
business.
Several years ago we had an or
ganization of Clerks of Court and
tried for some laws governing these
very conditions spoken of in this let
ter and really accomplished some
thing, as best we could, for all parties
concerned.
One good thing 1 might suggest to
the ministers, if there was a law
passed whereby they would have to
register in the Clerks office the same
as a doctor or a lawyer desiring to
practice, it would go a long way to-
ward eliminating the marriage of I'M
suspecting couples by these so-called
preachers" or "elders" or mission
aries" of some unauthorized and lille
gal organization to which they claim
to hold allegiance and upon which
these ceremonies are performed.
e / hope, Mr.. Editor, you will pub
lish this letter soon and send marked
copy. of your very good paper to sew
eral leading papers throughout the
Very truly yours,
LLOYD L. SHAFFER, Clerk,
Circuit Court Allegany County,.
Cumberland, Nd, Jan. 6, 1888.