Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-12
The Divorce Reform League.


 In the Center church last evening an in- | teresting address was delivered by the Rev. s. R. Dike, secretary of the New England | Divorce Reform League, to an audience of
 about two hundred people, who attentively
 listened to all the gentleman had to say.
 Rev. MT. Dike is a gentleman about forty
 years of age, tall and sparely built. Of dark
 complexion, his hair recedes from his brow,
 displaying an intellectual forehead. He
 handled his subject which dwelt upon the
 looseness of the divorce laws in the New England States, and presented figures to en- dorse all his statements in Q manner that could not fail to convince his auditors that he had made careful study of the subject. The speaker was introduced by Rev. Dr. Snyth, who said that it seemed strange to him that in New England there should be need of Divorce Reform League Some idea of the need, the greatness and the methods and principles of the great work would be explained by the gentleman.
 In predicting his remarks, MT. Dike said that he spoke with more than usual embar- rassment, owing in measure to the place in which he spoke, as there were in all proba- bility more people in New Haven interested in the work he proposed to discuss than in any city of it's size in New England. He had spoken in this city on the same subject about two years ago, and perhaps for the reason that perhaps there were among his auditors some who had heard him before on this topic added to his embarrassment. We ever need to remember that Christianity touches not only the individuality of mans life, but his social life as well. After men tioning that the family relations had not received the attention that was deserved, he among other things said: The words father, mother" "son,' daughter" mean more now than they did before Christ lived on earth. One thinker has said that those nations where the homes were most highly hcnored had always possessed the earth !" Another had said that between the two rival nations, one of which had strong ! family system and the other not, the latter ! must go down. The great interest ] in the last few years was matter to excite alarm. In New England the speaker said 1 that within eighteen or twenty years the number of divorces had doubled, far exceed 1 ing the increase in population in proportion. Mr. Dike next gave some very interesting ! figures on the subject, which had been gleaned from careful researches. In Connecticut, he said, in 1849 there were ninety-one divorces. Three hundred in S60, four hundred ana one in 1878. Vermont in 1860, ninety-four divorces; Ir 1878, one hundred and ninety seven. Massachusetts in 1860, two hundred and forty-three in 1870, three hundred and seventy mine in 1878, six hundred. New Hampshire had ninety in 1860, one hundred and fifty-nine in 1870. two hundred and forty in 1878, and two hundred and sixty-o in 1882. Maine, four hundred and seventy-eight in 1878, and five hundred and eighty seven in 1880. Rhode Island in 1870. one hundred and sixty-two, and two hundred and forty six in 1879. The summary for New England was as follows: 1860, 709 ! divorces; 1870, ], ,099 divorces 1878, 1,414 l divorces The ratio in Connecticut was one divorce for every ten and four-tenthS mar ! riages Vermont one divorce to thirteen I marriages. Massachusetts one divorce to l every twenty one marriages. New Hamp 1 shire one to nine. Maine the same. Rhode ! Island one to ten marriages.
 1 This is not true of New England alone, | continued the speaker for in Ohio the ratio ] of divorces to marriages has increased from 1 one to twenty six in 1865, to one in seventeen l in 1881. A remarkable thing in this connec- I ton is the fact that the largest part of this ! increase has been in northern Ohio on the l Western Reserve, settled principally by emi- | grants from Connecticut MT. Dyke then went on to say that the idea of divorce was 1 working much mischief in society com | mencing in thu lower state, and going ] up to the higher gr8de, young people | contract the idea that the tie can be loosened | whenever desired. A Vernon couple recent | ly married on probation with the understand | ing that divorce could be procured in six l months if they were dissatisfied with each l other. In the same State there are we'll 1 authenticated cases of swapping wives" l where the divorce court was called in to le- l galize this peculiar exchange. In our State, l Connecticut there is woman who has i been divorced four times an and a IS is
 with her fifth husband.
 1t is sometimes argued" continued Mr. Dike, stthat decrease in the number of di- 1 vorces will be followed bp an increase in sins against chastity and the increase of the so- l cial. But ststistics tell us another story. In
 Massachusetts between 1860 and '69, there l were 1852 divorces wanted 1925 illigiti-
 mate births and 6S3 convictions for crimes
 against chastity. From 1870 to '79, there
 were 2,255 divorces, 2, ,756 illegitimate births, and .527 convictions for crimes against chastity. During this time the population
 had increased twenty three per cent while
 the crimes against chastity had increased one hundred and fifty-seven per cent.
 1 Much can be said in this matter in relation
 to the training of the young, the evils of
 hotel life, as well as in boarding houses, the 1 nomsdic habits of many people, the wretched
 results which are sure to follsw in the wake l of drummers, the bigamies in the lower | classes resulting from frequent changes of location in search of york, as well as the 1 frequent destruction of unborn children. In l reference to this latter statement Mr. Dike
 said that 1t was conceded thai 5000 women in this country lose their lives annually from 1 the immediate effects of malpractice.
 It must not be taken for granted that fami 1 ly life on the average is worse than in former years, but the family of to day is unequal to
 the demands made upon it for the present
 time In conclusion the speaker said that in
 modern society there was tendency to exalt
 individual rights at the expense of obliga.
 tions as members of society. The purity of
 the home is the most important question for
 the consideration of the people. Marriage | has two-fold basis-a physical and moral
 one. Whatever God has joined together let
 no man pat asunder. If we exert ourselves
 in this needed system of reform we shall be-
 come blessing to mankind