The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-10
WHEELING, ". va, OCTOBER 10. 1883,


"Adlf0nuAck Murray W Vhloub tlneo
engaged in preaching, fishing, spinning
fish yarns, farming aud handling buck
boards. has invaded the lecture field with
a discourse on divorce. Mr.. Murray's de.
sire being to draw, he could hardly have
chosen better subject. 1t has been a
mine for those novelists and playrights
who have gone into 1t with any skill.
In Murray's view the process OF social
evolution requires that divorce shall be
made easy-so easy that II two persons do
not ish to live together longer, or II one
finds the union undesirable, the marriage
relation, with all It's grave responsibilities
NAV be thrown of. OF course there is to
be the formality Of proceeding in
court, but the courts are to fall
in gracefully with the process
Of social development. "For," he adds,
brightly in the modern view Of the matter
marriage is a personal contract entered
into by the parties for their own purposes.
They alone can decide whether the pur-
poses of marriage are subseryed by their
uuion; therefore they alone can determine
when that union shall end" In this view
it would seem that any process provided
by law would be superhuous. For, the
Court can not say no without putting upon
one or both OF the parties hardship, and
without retarding the process Of social
evolution.
Except to legitimatizs the issue there
seems to be no need OF ceremony or
agreement Of marriage, II by such agree
ment we are to understand relation more
enduring than the within Of either party
thereto. Reduced 10 plain English basis
this does not differ from heloose doctrine Of
free love, which finds some advocates and
more practitioners. 1t Is true that marriage
is a personal contract between the parties.
It is also contract between the parties and
society. The man and woman are guaran'
iced such respect and position as society
can give to them in their married state,
and in return they are to recompensc So
ciety by leading virtuous lives, by caring
for and properly rearing their children.
From the issuing OF the license to the tax
OF the property OF dead husband or wife
the law takes cognizance OF and protects
the marital relation.
It isnot surprising that Mr.. Murray sees
nothing wrong in the increasing number
OF divorces, for he is building a great social
fabric on the facility Of divorce, and d.
yorces in increasing numbers only show
show that many ether people agree with
him, though not necessarily for 80 refined
and scientific reason. On the night that
he was lecturing in New York Chicago
dispatch reported sixty.six divorce cases
on the dockets in that city. Nobody will
hold that divorce ought never to be
granted; rarely and only under strong
provocation is safe rule Stringent
diyoce laws which discourage the breaking
Of the marriage tie have aprecedent effect
in the discouagement OF hasty and i'll
considered unions. When 1t is under
stood that It is not easy to get out, persons
Of ordinary understanding will not rush
into bad bargains.
So the counting season has its practical
eide. Lovers do foolish things, which they
come 10 understand when they grow older
and look upon the mild follies Of other
lovers. But courtship brings men and
women close enough together to judge
whether they are fair match, likely to
have "harmony within the party" II Mr..
Murray's doctrine is TO prevail, counting is
useless waste OF time and marriage gar
ment easily flung of. Mr.. Murray is
preaching crusade against the home.