Connecticut western news., 1883-03-21
DIR. DIX ON DIVORCE.
GROWING EVIL THAT Is FOSTERED
 BY LOOSE LEGISLATION.
New England Especially Subject to it-WrOng Worked by the Civil Contract Theory Professionalism to Blame for Divorce.

New England Especially Subject to it-Wrong Worked by the Civil Contract Theory PrOtestantism to Blame for Divorce.
 The subject of the sixth Lenten lec- ture, of Dr. Morgan Dix, of New York,
 was "Divorce in it's Bearing on the Call ing of Christian Woman and her Train ing to Fulfill it." After speaking of his feeling of the inadequacy of his words to express his sense of the perils with which divorce threatens society. Dr. Dix re- ferred to the Bishop of Connecticut, who in his Convention address of 1881, said: "There were in the year of grace 1878, in Maine 478 divorces; In New Hampshire, 241; in Vermont, 197; in Massachusetts, 600; in Connecticut, 401, and in Rhode Island. 196-making @ total of 2, 2,113, and larger ratio in pro- portion to the population than in France in the days of the Revolution, though far less than in the City of Paris. On the basis of the present census there vas 1 divorce to every 1887 inhabitants in Maine, to every I, 439 in New Hamp- shire, to every 1,6s7 in Vermont, l to every 2,971 in Massachusetts, l to every 1 1,553 in Connecticut, and l to every l. All in Rhode Island. The condition of things to-day is worse than it was in 1868, 1869, and 1870, when we vainly peti- toned the Legislature to do something to stay this plague"
 "In the State of Massachusetts in 1860," said Dr. Dix, "there were five causes for which divorce could be ob- tained, and ratio of one divorce to 51 marriages; in 1878 the number of causes for which divorce was allowed had ad- vanced to nine, and the ratio to 1 divorce for every 21 marriages. In other New England States the case was even worse. In Vermont the ratio was l divorca to IA marriages; in Rhode Island, 1 divorce to 12 marriages; in Connecticut, di- vorce to II marriages. New Hampshire showed about the same proportion, and in Maine it is was even worse. From the total of marriages registered in the several States those contracted and solemnized by Roman Catholics must be deducted, for they, all honor to them, allow no divorce, following literally the command of our Lord Jesus Christ
 Among Protestants, or non-Roman Catholics, divorces run up to as high a ratio as l divorce to every IA marriages in Massachusetts, and in Connecticut to to every 8. In the New England States alone 2,O0O families are broken up every year, and 4, 900 persons divorced. While the laws protecting marriage have been gradually weakened, facilities for divorce extended, crimes against chas- tity, morality, and decency have been steadily increasing. In Massachusetts, from 1860 to 1870, during which time divorces had increased 23 times, while marriages had increased hardly 4 per | cent, and while all convictions for crimes had increased hardly one-ffth, crimes against chastity, morality, and decency-flthy crimes, loathsome infa- nous crimes-had increased threefold. f'The thing aimed at by the promot- CTS of easy divorce is not the relief of persons unhappily joined together; that is secured under all Christian statutes. In fact, divorce is of two kinds. There is divorce which consists in the tenn porary separation of persons who cannot live together in safety, they, however, remaining man and wife. That is a simple matter; it works but little harm it gives just relief. If married persons find it impossible to live together in peace, if one be hard, cruel, brutal, dan.
 gerous, it is right that the other should
 be allowed to withdraw from the peril,
 and that they should remain apart unti
 they come to 8 better mind. But that
 simple and often necessary divorce
 differs entirely from another kind, out
 of which springs the poison, the wasting
 shame. This is divorce followed by {
 new matrimonial alliance with some other person. These two kinds of di vorce were always distinguished unti recently in the laws of the State and o the Church. Divorce with the privileg of marrying again, divorce which abso
 lutely separates the married, destroy
 the home and throws the road open t. other alliances. Unquestionably, that f the point aimed at, in that divorce fo :, any cause shall carry with it the freedom f to marry again, and that the causes fo
 which divorce may be obtained shall b a made so numerous that any marie q couple may easily be parted under tn , form and shadow of law. The ground e for granting such separations sshould b numerous enough to accommodate a e desiring it, and, therefore, the point t
 aim at now, ill view of the end ultimatel q to be attained, is to make divorce so eas e that it will become as common as ma " riage itself; whereupon the legal pr' !. ceedings will be given up as practical n unnecessary and mere bit of Journalism O and license shall reign supreme.
 IA "In Maine divorce, full and abs e lute, may, be granted, not merely f' !. any of long list of specified cause
 but, adds the statute, by any Justice
 the Supreme Court whenever, in the e.
 ercise of sound discretion, he deems
 reasonable and proper, conducive to d 3 nestle harmony, and consistent with u peace and morality of society! Think l 1. la1