Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-18
REPRESENTATIVES.

One of the most notable articles in the North American Review for September is that by Elizabeth Cady Stanton entitled ''The Need of Liberal Divorce Laws" The author of this article appears to be firm be- liever in what Rev. MT. Bacon called icon secutive polygamy," and she presents her reasons for her belief in forcible and inter esting way. She says that divorce is not the foe of marriage, but that adultery, intemper- ance and hcentiousness are it's foes. ''The love of men and women for each other and for their children existed long before human governments were established and will sur shall have passed away. x To open the door of escape to those who live in contention would not necessarily embitter the relations of those who are happy. On the contrary, freedom in all relations strength ems the bond of union.- When husbands and wives do not own each other as property, marriage will be lifelong courtship, not a weary yoke, from which both may some times long for deliverance. Many tyranni- cal husband, knowing that public sentiment would protect his wife in leaving him, might become gracious and reasonable; and many a peevish wife, knowing that her husband could honorably sunder the tie, would soon change her manners"
 After answering several objections which have been raised against easy divorce, Eliza beth asserts that if the marriage institution is of divine origin we may safely trust him who ordained it to see that those whom he hath joined together will never be put asunder. And she further says: It is not necessary to re-enact the laws of God. Liberal divorce laws are in tended to enable those only whom God has not joined together to be put asunder. Such laws, so far from being barbarous and de- grading, indicate the growing independence, intelligence and virtue of American woman hood. Our decreasing families, so far from being an evidence of the dying out of mater nal love, indicate higher perception of the dignity and responsibility of mother hood. With woman's keen sense of moral principles, she begins to appreciate the awful waste of human force as she contemplates the panorama of social life. the unhappy inmates of our jails aud prisons,
 
 dumb, the blind, the orphan and pauper, the innumerable standing army of drunkards, the multitudes of children whom nobody owns, and for whom nobody cares-cold, hungry, their feet in slippery places, sleeping at night in all our cities, like rats, in any hole they can find. In view of these ap- palling facts, the mothers of the race may well pause and put the question to them selves, Is it for such as these we give the heyday of our lives? For such as these we ever and anon go down to the very gates of deatha Is this a life-work worthy our highest ambition, religious duty for our best powersa The answering echo from every mountain top is, No! Above the thun- ders of Sinai a warning voice, loud and clear, rings through the centuries: 'The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the children, to the third and fourth generations.''
 And Elizabeth says much more of the same sort. What she says will doubtless help great many men and women who do not want to live together any longer to make up their minds to separate. But there are some who are not yet thoroughly enlightened who will fail to see the strength and beauty of her argument, and who will feel that she could not have spoken worse for her sisters whose cause she champions. If easy divorce is the blessing she says it is many good men and women are sadly behind the times