Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-05-04
From the Pittsburgh Telegraph
Divorce Made Easy.

either, when divorced vile or nus
band were regarded with great sus-
picion, and to have once been mar
ried snd then separated, especially
by law, was evidence that the one so
divorced had in some way been bad
lv treated. while the one divorced
from was stunned, and, in mOst in
stances, despised. The process was
long, tedious and expensive. But
nowadays sueing out a divorce is
almost as common and as easily per
formed as the marriage ceremony it
self. Whether, as the world grows
older, men and women degenerate
in their social qualities, and moral
obligations to each other; whether
domestic happiness is losing its sa-
credness in these latter times, are
questions which the practices of the
day, as exemplifed in the increased
demand for separation of man and
wife, are forcing upon us. In pOr-
tions of the country there are law
yers who do nothing else than deal
in the prurient details necessary to
constitute case; there are judges
whose time is given up entirely to
hearing the complaints of injured
husbands or wives; there are papers
whose columns are filled with little
else than the revolving testimony,
drawn from witnesses, too often anx-
ious to volunteer it. A publicity is
thus given to divorce cases which
they do not merit, which they should
not have, and which exaggerates
their importance.
But all this does not prove that
there is an increase of domestic mis-
cry, for it must be remembered that
a fictitious prominence is given to
divorce cases by the fact that the
larger proportion, indeed, nearly al
of them, are brought in the courts
of perhaps a dozen cities, and the re-
cords of these tribunals thus repre-
sent the marital misery of our whole
country. st. Louis and Chicago are
particularly noted for the great num-
Der of divorces procured in their
courts. So easily is the naOd,tS oper-
dndi in Chicago, that unhappy, and
imaginarily unhappy couples, go
there from every part of the Union
to have the conjugal knot severed.
Husbands go there, leaving their
wives at home; wives visit the di-
vorce barristers of that city unat-
tended by their lords, and in a few
DAYS, or weeks, exult in separation.
A short time ago young woman OF
Chicago, who never was married.
hearing so much of the divorce bus
mess, and being curious to know
still more, visited several of the dl-
vorce lawyers of Chicago, who ad-
vertise that they will procure divor-
ces for any person promptly, TO dis
cover, if possible, their methods
Her experience was interesting. In
the first instance her only excuse fol
divorce was: 81 am sorry | evel
married him; l am tired of married
life" And the lawyer assured her
that the excuse was satisfactory
He could obtain divorce for her il
about month, and the cost would
be $15O-$1O being paid in advance
The second one could obtain the dl
voree in sixty days at a cost of S75
Her excuse in this case was: "My
husband is too domestic in hi
tastes" Another could bring abOu
the desired result for SI25 if so
was paid in advance. In this cast
her complaint was: "My husband ii
older than l, very quiet, and always
wants his own way; our tempers art
very different.
This exposure shows how the bus
iness of destroying homes is man
aged under the zlooseness of WesterI
law. In no case was a motive
worthy of consideration assigned
but there was no doubt expressed O
the possibility of obtaining the di
vorce without the knowledge of th'
other party. 1t is unnecessary t.
90 into the question of the canse
which lead to divorce. The law has
unfortunately, allowed them to b,
already too numerous. Extravaganc,
of habits on the part of women is
unhappily, too often prime cause
With the present rage for show it i
impossible, so far as magnificence o
dress is concerned, to distinguish tn
daughter of the millionaire from tn
daughter of the clerk. But tn
fault is not altogether on their side
Men are quite as often to blame
Habits of dissipation are as obJec
tionable in a man as habits of ex
travagance in a woman, and are a
frequently productive of dOmesti
unhappiness. Hasty marriage
bring repentance at leisure as Gel
tainly now as ever, and never befor
d were people in such a hurry TO &c
married as at present. ReasOnabl
causes for domestic infelicity are 5
abundant, nowadays, that, whe
all the circumstances are considered
we cannot wonder at the prevalenc
of divorce. The only remedy for
is greater circumspection in the cor
traction of matrimonial ties, an
here the advice of the parents
manageable sons and daughter
might effect great deal of goot
One thing is certain, the tacilit