Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-02-04

The last Monday lecture at Boston was de-
livered by the Rev. Samuel W. Dixie of Roy
alton, this State, who spoke on the subject
given ut the head of this article. MIR. Dixie
has for years made the study of divorce
study and has collected Il vast amount Of
statistics and facts bearing on the question
and his lecture is at once valuable and inter
esting. He thinks that dyorce is New
England idea apparently indigenous to the
soil of Connecticut, from which it has spread
over large portions of the United States.
Divorces occur among those outside Christ
ian congregations, and generally among reo-
pie noted neither for intelligence nor virtue
and divorce and the vices allied Herewith
mostly appear among those who, while rear
ed under the principles of our best New Eng
land life. fail to accept all those principles in
their integrity and are thus thrown by the in
fuence Of those they do accept into perver-
sions of the true New England ideas. Mr..
Dixie then gives some interesting statistics,
which may be summarized as follows: In
Connecticut, Benjamin. Trumbull, in 1875,
mourned that 439 divorces had taken place
in Connecticut within a century, and that
all but fifty had occurred in the last fifty
years. About twenty years later President
Dwight was alarmed that there was one di-
vorce to every hundred marriages. In 1S43
''habitual intemperance" and ''intolerable
cruelty" were added to the two existing
causes for divorce, and six years later five
causes were added, making nine in all, and
jurisdiction was taken from the legislature
and given TO the courts. That year divorces
numbered "a the next year. 129 and In
1864, 426. Then for fifteen years, they
averaged 446 annually, the ratio of divorces
to marriages being | to 1914. The repeal Of
the "omnibus clause" in 1873 reduced the di-
vorces of the next year TO 3l6. Another
slight change in the law for the better was
secured year ago. This State grants divorces
for six causes There were "a divorces
granted in 1860, and 1877 in 1878, with the
ratio to marriages of to IA. That year an
amendment to the laws resulted in a reduc-
tion of divorces in the year following 10 1876.
Rhode Island grants about $50 annually,
and her ratio is to l3.
New Hampshire granted l59 divorces in
1870; 2i0 in 1875, and PAL in 1873. There
are fourteen causes for divorce. In 16
counties of Maine there were in 1873 AIS
divorces. Massachusetts granted divorce for
only two causes until 1860. That year there
were 24S divorces, or ! TO 81 marriages.
Then, by a series of acts, the causes for alb
solute divorce became nine. In 1866 there
were 392 divorces in 1870, 449, and in 1873
GOO The ratio to marriages, to 81 in 1860,
became TO 214 in 1878. The totals for
New England for 1878 are in Maine ATS di-
mont, 1877; in Massachusetts, 600; in Con-
necticut, 401 and in Rhode Island, 1856 /;
making total of 9, ll3, and larger ratio in
proportion to the population than in France
in the days of the revolution. In France the
ratio of separatioA..t to marriages latterly is
about l to $50; in Belgium. of dirorce TO
marriages to go, with few separations; /;
and in England of petitions for both divorce
and separation, to 800. On the basis of
population by the present census there was
one divorce 10 every Sl9 inhabitants
in Maine; one TO about $50 in Penob-
scot county, the seat of theological
seminary one 10 every l 1,443 in New
Hampshire; one 10 every l,6S7 in Vermont;
one to every 1913 in Massachusetts one
to every 1858 in Connecticut and one to
every I'LL in Rhode Island. The Catholic
marriages are, however, in four States. 81
per cent of the whole. There is seldom u
divorce in that church and the ratio of d.
vorces to marriages among Protestants
would be consequently 10 III for the four
States together it being to Is In Massa-
chusetts, to 13 in Vermont, to Q in Rhode
Island. and in less than 8 in Connecticut.
As to the West. in Ohio, the ratio for
many years averaged to %. and now it is
about to 1s The records of Chicago for
the five years 1S,5-79, show ratio of divorce
suits begun to marriage licenses taken out of
found that one-ffth of the petitions heard
were denied. Making this allowance the
ratio becomes TO II. Chicago is not as bad
as Hartford or New Haven.
The causes for divorce, Mr.. Dixie says, are
not one-fourth on the ground OF adultery, de-
sertion and severity taking the lead. The
courts are crowded with unhappy couples.
and often the cases are despatched with un-
seemly haste. lie instances the daughter of
prosperous farmer, still young woman,
who has been divorcaM from three husbands,
each of whom is living, and married to
another wife, while she has lately been mar
rled 10 n fourth husband Two Nermonters
deliberately swapped wives by aid OF the
courts and Vermont couple married 'on
trial for six months" agreeing to get di-
vorce IF either purity did not like"
Mr. Dixie then goes on TO say;
For the twenty years ending 1879. the
population Of Massachusetts, increased so
per cent. In 1860, there were II, 4O4 mar
riages-ihe largest number ever reported up
10 that date save once. The highest number
since Is IL, asa gain ot ~ per cent only,
while in 1879 there were only IL per cent
more than in 1860. Leaving out OF account
the liquor cases fluctuating for obvious rea-
sons all crime IN the Stale for twenty
years, increased 20.4 per cent, or two-tifths
as fast rs the population. But how Is it with
the licentious crimes: can learn OF no es-
sential change in the laws or in their enforce
ment, except that in Suffolk county the con-
last five years are only two-iiiths the number
in the preceding five (206 to 5a3), and that the
convictions for the kindred offence of night
walking, have scarcely increased. Leaving
out these two offences only Tor Suffolk
county-as concession il you wish TO in
creasing virtue in Boston and combining
two thut belong together and
lewdncss-we have thes. results Tor the
entire State, Each of these two Offences of
Il licentious nature has steadily increased in
each Iuinquennal period of the twenty years
since 1860 until convictions for every one of
them, with asolitary exception, have more than
doubled in twenty years, while CONVICTIONS
| for that one have risen from IL to ~ While,
then, crime generally has increased 2O.4 per
cent, the population so per cent, this class
of crime has increased ia per cent, or eight
! times rs fast US crime in general and more
Z
with accele rating rate.
| Keep it in mind that this increase Of IL
| ceutious offences is found over nearly the en-
tire State, with little variation.
| Add to this the fact that the number oil
| children born out OF wedlock in the State,
has risen in the same period from in 900
to II, and the most rapid increase has been
in the last six years.
That might do little 10 meet this in-
duiry. and throw more light If possible on
the whole subject. sent II list of questions
| TO hundred or more gentlemen in nearly all
parts of New England, mostly judges, States
attorneys, lawyers, police officers. large
numbers Of ply sicians and specialists, with
u few clergymen. In three -fourths OF the
localities reported on this point licentious-
| ness is said 10 be increasing. In nearly as
many the destruction of unborn life goes gu
US fast, or faster, than ever In one-half the