Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-02-17

tried in Massachusetts and had been found to
work well. The proportion Of divorces to
marriages there was one in twenty, while in
Maine it was one in eight. Maine had the
highest rate in all New England.
Mr. Hale of Portland admitted that his
amendment still left with the court the dis
cretionary power. He was in favor of re-
tanning the schedule causes for a divorce in
the bill, but opposed to tying the court down
to them and saying that for those reasons
only q divorce should be granted. The imag-
ination of men was not equal to the making
up of schedule of all the reasons that
should divorce man and wife. He con-
tended that it was in the inter-
est of conservative and fair legislation
that his amendment should be adopted. He
also commended that impositions upon the
court by parties applying for divorce was
not due to the discretionary power which the
court now has. They would still occur if
the bill became law
Mr. Thompson of Brunswick said the gen.
tlemans amendment was proposition TO in
crease the bulk of the law without increas-
ing its effectiveness.
Mr.. Heath of Augusta suggested an amend
ment to the amendment TO perfect the phras-
eology. which the mover Of the amen lment
said he would accept.
Mr. Powers of Houlton opposed the bill
because he believed the present divorce law
we'll enough. The large number of divorces
did not show necessarily that they were
wrong. Had any instances been shown
where divorces had been granted that
were not ''conduc to domestic harmony
and consistent with the peace and morality of
society?" Was not the cause of the evil too
many improvident and hasty marriages? He
did not believe in sec. 4. which prohibited
the marriage of divorced parties for certain
length of time. He also thought that
if the bill was to pass there should
be SETON added so that it might not apply
to pending cases. He moved to indefni,ly
postpone.
Mr.. Ives said that he would now add a
word as to the effects of divorce on society
at one most important point. The influences
which have made New England what it is.
have gone out from the meeting house of
olden times, the school house, and the family.
These have determined the religious, the
intellectual, the social condition of the peo
pie. Take away the meeting house and ali
belonging to 1.-THE bible, church orgsniza-
tions, the worship and religious teachings of
the sanctuary and the effect would be disas-
trous to mans spiritual interests. Take away
our institutions of learning and we should go
down intellectually. These institutions are
to he protected and fostered by wise legis-
lati N. With equal care is the family to be
cherished as the spring and center of social
lite. Now divorce, whether for causes sutfi-
cient or insufficient, works direct disaster to
the family. When divorces are very few,
the evil is not SO apparent, though not the
less real. If after divorce the form of
the household is still maintained by
either party. and there are children which
are kept together, there is. notwithstanding,
blight upon that family. Its peace, its
comfort. its light, its joy, are gone. The
world without may know little of its true in
ward condition: but disappointment, and
blasted hope and shame, the abiding sense OF
unspeakable injury, and a broken heart. are
fully known only to Him who knows the
heart. Isaac Taylor has urged that the first six
or seven years of child's life. as the forming
and determining period, should be given TO
its moral training and education, reserving
the intellectual training to subsequent years.
Horace Bushnell taught that the child is so
within the forming influences of the parent
and the family. that morally and in theprimal
elements of character the child is hardly to
be regarded as truly born till reach
ing that age. How then must it be
with children of tender years, whose parents
are divorced--their early lives impressed aad
formed in the circumstances growing out OF
such divorce, the home, if retained in form.
having lost much of its choicest elements
Let it be hundreds of such families, either
wholly broken up or so acknowledgements
of such families-near one eighth of all the
families originating in marriages now act
ually solemnized. Let it go on in equal pro
portion in the future, and it will not be that
great number alone; not alone so many less
families of the old New England type !;
but the whole community will be
affected; the whole social and NOR
al atmosphere will feel the contamination
We are not indeed to be Over-sanguine of
good results. Wise restrictive legislation
may lessen the evil. The prohibitory amend
ment and still more stringent laws faithfully
enforced, lessening intemperance, will have
an effect. While legislation is called for,
there is work for the moralist, the philoso-
pher, the divine; there is cause for the sober
and anxious thought of all. 1t is for us here
in this legislature, to do what we can. The
law such as we are considering has had evil
dent restraining influence in Massachusetts
and if ena cted here promises like results.
Mr.. Spofford of Deer Isle said the only
question was whether the bill or the law now
existing cOnduced most to domestic harmony
and human happiness. He believed with
Bob Ingersoll. that no man fights for a board
ing house. He will fight for his home. He
thought it would be wrong legislation to pass
the bill as it came from the committee. He
hoped that all the amendments would be
adopted and then that it would be forever in
definitely postponed. He did not like the
manner in which it had come before
the legislature nor the manner in
which it had been enunciated. He be
lieved that laws should be adopted natural to
man and the condition of his being as he ia,
with all his follies, his miseries and his mis-
takes. Man should be taken as he is found,
and not as that transcendent type Of humani-
ty that exists in the brains Of visionary senti-
mentalists who act the role of reformers, and
appoint themselves the guardians of society,
and look round to see if they can discover
some social evil or apparent defect in social
organization OF which they can make a hobby
and against which they can organize cru
SADIE. Long years ago the matter of divorce
had been under the control of the church
1t was then sacrament, and he did not know
bat what his friends of the clergy felt little
jealous because it had passed out of their
hands. He declared himself not alarmed
at the number of divorces. In his coun-
ty xt the October term of court there
had been eight divorces. This was not
an alarming number in county of al
mnsf 90 0oO His main nhipctinn IN tho