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Show MARRIAGE IN FRANOE. aoaae Mtrlkln Pert and Dlfflealt Prob-fcpnis Prob-fcpnis Present. It I a mere truism to aay that the welfare of the Individual, of aoclety and of the state I beat served by marriage, mar-riage, and by early marriage, too. The fact haa been ealabllshed for forty year that the death rate among all married men over twenty year of age I lea than that among unmarried men; and that the death rate among all married women over twenty-live year of age la lesa than that among unmarried women. The home being the cornerstone of civilized life, society soci-ety la enriched by the multiplication of homea, and Impoverished when they are not In normal proportion to the total population. Only within the past few year ha world-wide attention been drawn to the startling fact that the well-being of a mighty nation la menaced by the predominance of celibacy. celi-bacy. More than half the men and half the women of France are unmarried. un-married. The foreign Immigration Into France I todny greater than the naturul Increaae of Its own people. The exceaa of blrtha over deatha In any year among those many million amount to only about one-half of the population of Newark, N. J. The result re-sult la that while other nation of Europe Eu-rope are rapidly Increasing In population. popula-tion. France la almost stationary. While, a century ago. Frenchmen comprised com-prised a fifth of the European poula-tlon poula-tlon of the world, they now form only a tenth of It. The Importance of their country aa a world power la not growing. grow-ing. Their International commerce Inga far behind that of other leading nations. How empty I the boast of rnttlepated orator that France will some day gloriously avenge Sedan, when he can add only 300,000 con-crlpt con-crlpt a year to the army, while 600.-000 600.-000 recruit are annually enrolled across the Rhine! Ws ahall apeak later of the mistaken motives, the policy ruinous alike tn the citizen and the state, that Induce many of the French to reatrlct the number of their children, and half of them to go through life unmarried. France I to- day an object lesson from which the whole world may derive warning and Inatructliin on the nneHtlotia of marriage mar-riage and the famllly. thime grenteat of aoclal Influences. Alnalce's M.iga sin. |
