Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-20
The Divorce Laws.

Rev. Dr. Bacon, of NorwicIi-''Christtan
 Duty Relative to Divorce''-A Vigorous
 Discourse.
 The Rev. Dr. Leonard w. Bacon, of Nor wich, delivered vigorous discourse last evening at the North church. on the ''Christ- ian Duty Relative to Divorce" There was large audience interested to hear the rever- end gentleman on this theme, his attitude and expressed convictions on the subject hay ing awakened considerable attention through out the State. He was assisted in the service by Drs. Todd and Hawes. After Dr. Todd's appropriate introductory prayer, recognizing the beauty and sacredness of the family re- Iation, Dr. Leonard w. Bacon in reading from Matt. IT,, 13, that prophets terrible de- nunciation of unfaithfulness in the marriage relation, took for his text "God hates un- faithfulness in this sacred obligation of life He cited the instance of rich merchant of New York, who, he said, in violation of Gods laws, obtained divorce from an inno- cent and worthy wife. After securing by his wealth and position and pretensions the hand of maiden, the pride of the village, he appeared before 0 minister of God for the SOtennlZdIIOn OI HIS purposes 1uo u1IAIo- ter performed the ceremony and legalized what the speaker designated the crime of adultery, by his sacred sanction and office. This was very mild instance of the opera ton of Connecticut divorce laws compared with those afterward cited by the speaker. He denounced as fallacious the making of mere law the standard and the authority for I,o olo ,n1 cruel and criminal than those punished by State prison confinement, or even the death penalty. He arraigned some portions of Connecticut's lawyers and judges of our Su perior Courts contributing to bad and wicked state of the divorce laws. The speakers remarks two or three times aroused applause in the galleries. The words of the ex- Mayor of Hartford used in an appeal to the members of the Legislature on the sub ject of the divorce laws, calling them just and humane, were quoted as evidences of wickedness and corruption in high places. A Yale Law School professors advocating be- fore the same high tribunal the making of divorce laws to put less restraint upon the marriage relation, the speaker indignantly I1lb IOllISu1CnI u6 StuAJ HOu11 be better for the fair fame of our city and our college, For one and half hours the audience gave deepest attention.
 The speaker said in closing: The few en- gagged in this effort to repeal these disgrace ful statutes of our State embrace the names of the highest in church and the State and our university, the oldest and most hon pred of her sons, the names also of Bishop Williams of the Protestant Episcopal church. Bishop McMahon, of the Catholic church. and the late lamented Judges Seymour and Foster They are determined to expose and agitate measures of reform till the infamy and injustice Is forever wiped away
 The speaker gave many illustrations in support of his claims. In one case he told of pair of lovers who were just about to sepa- rate. The intended husband was called to the West on important business and his train soon to start. The afianced bride said why wait till you get back? It may be long time. Let's be united before you go. The idea was acted upon. The pair were married; and the train left directly afterward. The husband was gone three years. When he returned he found that his wife, after he had been absent two years had given birth to child that after he had been gone year the bride fell in love with another, and had got a divorce from him and married the second gentleman, by whom she became the happy mother.
 Another case related was where lady who was married to Hartford young divine fell in love with another man, and she was just about getting divorce from her husband on the ground of violation of the marriage cove nant by visiting house of ill-repute in New York, when by good luck, Connecticut doc tor of divinity produced proof that the young divine was at his home on the night of the alleged crime. It will be understood that the charge was merely trumped up in order to get divorce. The lady is now living most happily with her husband. These cases were brought forward in the doctors arraignment of the laws on divorce.
 The speaker also cited a case where wo- man in Connecticut had been divorced five or six times already, and he designated one end of the Superior Court bench as the 'whis- pering end, |" where divorces were obtained in xpni-