The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-22
DIVORCE MADE EASY.
philadelphia Leading the mon
In Breaking Marriage Ties.

ohIiadoiphla SOO NOR
In breaking Marriage Ties.
Though marriages are said to b,
u.de in Heaven. and according to the
doctrines Of the Apostles, a b.
hroken. vet in Phiiadelphi. since Sep
,.mber. 1878, there have beer 1897
s.crees in divorce issued by the Phil
.delphia G. .urts. this not Including Tia.
hundreds Of divorce cases now pending
Undetermined. The Court record:
chow thas there are more divorces dc
creed il Philadelphia Courts in u year
than in d majority of the United States,
connecticut granting 426 divorces;
Maine, 523, and New Hampshire 242-
The record further show tnst the di-
vsrces in Philadelphia during . year
are more by 100 per cent, then in any
other city Of the Union in proportion
to population, the system being easier
here than in lilinoiss, Indiana and
other Western States, where div Jrce
laws are considered unusually lax.
Philadelphia stands in good repute
morally as compared with sister cities,
Int it is nevertheless a fact that the
divorces are increasing here with
alarming r%apidity, lawyers assigning
,hs reason that the laws of this State
hermit more grounds for a severance Of
the marital relation than are allowed
Nv ,ny other State in the Union. The
net of Assembly of March Is, 1915,
yves five different grounds for divorce
as follows.
The ACT Of Assembly of April &c, 1850
allow. the party to make application
TOR diyorce for desertion at any time
liter SIX mcnths absence. The act Of
Assembly of May 8, 1854, gives two
more grounds for a divorce. 1t SAYS:
Where the marriage was procured by
trsud. force or coercion, or where eth
.r party has been convicted of a felony
and sentenced 10y the Court to prison
t,r any term exceeding two years. The
act Of Assembly of March g. 1855,
make. it lawful for the Courts to grant
divorce for the cause Of personal abuse.
So that In this State there are eight
different grounds for divorce. New
York State allows but two grounds
first, adultery, and, second, where
either party has been sentenced to
prison for and during the term of his
or her natural life, the defendant being
prohibited from marrying during the
lifetime of plaintiff. The result is that
100 per cent. more divorces are decreed
in this State than in New York, for
two reasons-irst, because the law in
the latter State does not funish either
party with the number of xcu to |
sever the marital obligation, and, sec
ond, because collision between hus-
band and wife is prevented on account
of the disability entailed on the de-
PENDANT to marry again during the
lifetime of the plaintiff.
The manner in which a diverch is
obtained in this city is this: A wife
feels aggrieved at her husband, and a
friend advises her to see lawyer.
Acting on this advice she visits a law
YER if he can get her a divorce without
publicity, adding that rather than have
any exposure she would live with he:
husband and try % get along witt
him. The lawyer advises her TO inst
tute proceedings Immediately, insinr
atlng that she would I've foolish to liv.
with such y man thot she would new
be happy with him. So lie promise
to Get her q divorce without any one
being c~oGnizant of the fact. The Wit
consents; the lawyer receives u small
fee as a retrincr, and then lies a teti
tior or libel, which has been sworn to
before a Magistrate who is entirely
ignorant of is contents, as it 10 never
read by the Magistrate. The petition
IS handed to a Judge, who ii.dorsvs his
on the bach, and a Subpoena 10
. ,vorce Is issued by ole of The clerks
of the Parliamentary office. The sub
upna is served 10y the Sheriff on the
nuspaud. All this is done quitely.
The husband as is very often the case,
attempts to effect y reconciliation with
his wife, but distractions are placed
the road by the kind-hearted lawyer
Of the wife, because the Law cUmpels
-. husnand in al divorce cases to pa
$35 Ne = fee to his wite's lawyer. II
the wife is the plaintiff and her hus-
does not pay the o an at
tachmsut ior contempt Of Court il
against him anal he can he pur
prison until he pays it. Ii the hus
band is the plaintiff the Court will stay
the proceedings until he pays the $35
iees, 80 that the lawyer is sure
% receive his fee, come what, come
may. After the Sheriff returns the
writ to Court an Examiner Is appoin-
ted to take the testimony Of the wit
nesse., the examiner being a lawyer.
Two or three witnesses are brought to
the Examiners office and, With
doors, he takes their testimony.
The Examiner then fastens all the pa
per, together and they are banded to a
J I'D re. who, as q general rule, marks
on the back of these papers, which are
allied the Examiners Report, zap
srove5." The lawyers then quietly
a rule for u decree, and on a
Saturday, when hardly any one 10 in the
Court House, after motion list and
other business has been disposed Of the
crier OF the Court makes proclamation
iivorciug the parties, and the public
know IctbInS about it. 1t is only
when a bitter contest is waged before
. Jury Hat the public is made aware OF
he tIo bic, and lbi. does not occur
one IN . hundred cases.