Milford chronicle., 1883-03-23

d The subject of the sixth Leptep lee
ture, of DR.. Morgan Dix, Of New York
= was Divorce in its Bearing on the Call
ing OF Christian Woman and her Train-
ing to Fulfill it.. After speaking of bis
feeling Of the inadequacy OF his words to
express his sense Of the perils with which
divorce threatens society. DIR. Dix re-
feTed to the Bishop of Connecticut
who in his Convention address of 1881
said: "There were in the year of grace
1878, in Maine AS divorces: In New
Hampshire, 241; in Vermont, 1877; in
Massachusetts,, 600; in Connecticut
40l, and in Rhode Island 1g6-makipo
total Of 2 1l3, and a 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 was l
divorce to every 1897 inhabitants in
Maine, ] to every ,439 in New Hamp-
shire, to every ,6S7 in Vermont. 1 to
every 2971 in Massachusetts,, l to every |
l,553 in Connecticut, aud l to evcry
l,4l1 in Rhode Island. The condition Of |
things to-day is worse than it was in 1868
1869, and 1870, when we vainlv peti-
toned The Legislature to dosomethinq to
stay this plague"
"In the State of Massachusetts, in
1860, said DR.. Dix, "there were five
causes for which divorce could be OBJ.
teined, and a ratio Of one divorce 10 81
marriages; IL 1878 the number of causes
for which divorce was allowed had adj
vaneed to nine, and the ratio to l divorce
for every p marriages. In other New
England States the case was even worse.
In Vermont the ratio was l divorce to
II marriages; in Rhode Island, divorce
10 y marriages; in Connecticut, l di-
'Orce to II marriages. New Hampshire 8
showed about the same proportion. and j."
II Maine it is was even worse. From .
he total OF marriages registered in the Il
everal States those contracted and Il
olemnized by Roman Catholics must Is
'e deducted, for they, all honor to them. g
low no divorce, following literally the
ommand of our Lord Jesus Christ IL
lmong Protestants, or non Roman M
divorces run up to as high a e,
alto as l divorce to every IA marriages n,
I Massachusetts, and in Connecticut to in
to every s. In the New England vi
tates alone 1000 families are broken up 10,
very year, and 4, 600 persons divorced. If
Ihile the laws protecting marriage have ba
zen gradually weakened, facilities for 90,
vorce extended, crimes against chas. -,
ty, morality, and deeency have been M.
eadily increasing. In Massachusetts, ,ro
ON 1860 to 1870, during which time no
vorces had increased d times, while nc
aITiages had increased hardly 4 per A.,
Mt, and while all convictions for ava
ines had increas, d hardly one-ffth. III
ines against chastity, morality, and vor
ceney-flthy crimes, loathsome infa- az,
lus crimes-had increased threefold ~
"The thing aimed at by the promot- tior
Of easy divorce is not the relief of and
rsons unhappily joined together that rigl
secured under all Christian statutes. the
fact, divorce is Of two kinds. There TO 4
} divorce which consists in the tenn as t
,ary separation of persons who cannot wor
? together in safety, they, however inte
laining man and wife. That is ster
iple matter it works but little harm if e,
ives a Just relief. If married persons pen,
it impossible to live together in und
ce, if one be hard, cruel, brutal, dan The
Gus, it is right that the other should who
allowed to withdraw from the peril conc
that they should remain apart until with
? come to a better mind. But that will,
pie and often necessary divorce to fo
RS entirely from another kind, out be o.
'hich springs the poison, the wasting The
ne. This is a divorce followed by alter
matrimonial alliance with some will
II person. These two kinds of di- the
.e were always distinguished until a"d lrGi'
laiS Il, 'he laws OF me otate and OF and