Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 193, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1911 — KISSING AS A PERIL [ARTICLE]

KISSING AS A PERIL

Mustn’t Do It, Even If About to Marry. Officially In Chicago Osculation la Forbidden at Marriage OfficeLeads to Divorce Court and Must Be Btopped. ; Chicago.—Kissing in public parka, at bathing beaches and in darkened theaters leads to the dlvorcq court and makes a mockery of love. The kiss is the symbol of sacred Jove, a token of the tie that binds man to woman for life. When a woman grants a man a kiss It means that she has given her heart of hearts into his keeping for all time. Talk all you please about spirit kisses, friendship kisses and soul kisses—that is just something to call a crime. If a man wants to kiss the woman hp is going to marry, let him kiss her at her home and not in front of the marriage llcensd window. Many suppose the reason people do so much kissing before they are married is that they know there will not be a great deal of it afterward. The kiss in the marriage bureau is doomed. Lewis C. Legner has drawn the line on kissing in front of his window. A big sign bearing the words "No. Kissing Here” appeared above the window the other day. Two Chicago sweethearts, however, declared they did not believe in signs and defied the order es Legner. “Kissing and cooing is going to be stopped in front of this window,” said Mr. Legner. “The great majority of prospective brides and . bridegrooms are dignified and sedate. They seem to. prefer to cherish their love in /Silence, and although I frequently notice an exchange of loving as they are handed their clearance papers to matrimony, there is no other manifestation. “Some couples, however, seem to forget everything when their eyes fall on a license. ,1 cannot explain it, unless It Is the power of suggestion. It Is not uncommon for a man to kiss a girl as both look at their license. “I do believe promiscuous kissing ought to be stopped. Chicago seems to have gone kissing mad. “1 was walking through Lincoln park the other evening about sunset Scattered through the park op almost

every bench was a pair of cooing sweethearts. I caught several of them kissing, but they seemed to care little about It Many of them, I know, will appear later at the marriage license window. “Kissing has its place, but the public park, the bathing beach and the marriage license window are not the places for it “The kiss Is sacred and should be considered the symbol of love, the token that binds man and woman together for life. “Silly girls and men who like- to .flirt cause more trouble in the world than all other forces combined. “Promiscuous kissing leads to *the divorce court. I do not believe in sending people to prison for kissing, but I do believe in sounding a warning; That is why I decided to begin here and draw the line even on tbe betrothed."