The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-11
EEGALIzLNG RIGAMY.


liz the House Of Representatives at Harris
burg yesterday there was slight divergence
from the beaten track of latter-day legisla-
tion, caused by theological discussion upon
the marriage tie and the bearing of Chris
tianity upon it. The iniquitous divorce bill
introduced some time since came up as the
first in order on the public calendar. The
proposed measure is so glaringly outrageous
that we quote the first section entire. 1t
reads as follows:-
''That IN addition to causes OF divorces now ex-
isting, every Court OF Common Pleas shall have
power and jurisdiction to grant AMI decree divorces
from the bond OF matrmOny In all cases In which
the Court shall be OF opinion. upon the evidence
submitted that the best interests Of the parties aud
the cause OF public morality viii TO promoted
Some time ago we ventilated the divorce
law which has brought such scandal upon the
State of Indiana. The measure before the
House yesterday is free from some of its OBJ
jectionable features regulating proceedings In
divorce cases, but it fully equals the Indiana
law in the sweeping provision above quoted
If the judges of the Courts of Common Pleas
throughout the Commonwealth were natives
of another and higher sphere, it they were
little more closely allied to the order of angels
and archangeis, there might be some hope
that they would SO exercise tho discre-s
ton which this measure proposes to confer
upon them as to promote ''the best inter
ests of the parties and the cause of public
morality" But as long as our judges are not
taken from among the angels, it is utter folly
to expect that such a discretion would not
lead to the most scandalous and iniquitous
abuses, sapping the very foundations of So
ciety, and rendering ''phblic morality" as
much of farce in this State as it has long
been in Indiana and some other sections of
the country. a
Mr.. White, of Allegheny county, appeared
to be aware of the inevitable results of such
legislation, and in feeble way attempted to
apply remedy by amending the first section
of the bill by the addition of the words ''as
taught by the principles of the New Testa-
ment." This proposition brought Mr. Craig,
of Lawrence county, to his feet, and led to a
discussion as to whether il is the true pro-
vince of a civil government to administer
Christianity. Some of the members were
afforded an opportunity to reveal the fact
that they had heard of the principles of the
New Testament, if nothing more; but be-
yond this triHing item the debate elected
nothing. If, instead of drifting into
a dogmatic discussion, the members who
desire to preserve what little sacredness is left
to the marital relation had denounced
the proposed bill in fitting terms,
they would have served their con-
stituents more effectively. The scheme is
not at all made more palatable by the provi
sions of the third section, which declares it
''to be the true intent and meaning of this
act that all the powers vested in the Legis-
lature to grant divorces is by this act vested
in the several Courts of Common Pleas.
The divorce business is one of the greatest
scandals of Harrisburg, and one of which the
public has less knowledge than of some others.
But the remedy for it is not the clothing of
the judges of our courts with an even more
discretionary power than is now exercised by
the Legislature. The true correction of the
evil would be it's entire overthrow by the en-.
actnaent of a law depriving the Legislature of
oil power to grant divorces, leaving the courts
with the powers they now enjoy, and moth
ing more. The bill was postponed for the
present, but il will doubtless be brought ur
again. If it should eventually pass, it is to
be hoped, in the interests Of 'pubhc me
rality," that Governor Geary, while he is il
the vetoing mood, will put his foot dow
upon it, as we'll as upon all other measures
which aim blow at the very foundations o
our social system.
The House. COMMITTEE on TERRrroRlIs j