The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-29
TTVORCE LAWS.


American Re0iee0 Elizabeth Csdy
Stanton has a paper on "Fhe Need
of liberal Divorce Laws" in which
she advocates greater ease in UNITY
ing the naptial knot. She argues
from the standpoint of a. woman
whose miad is embittered towards
men. who regards man IS social
tyrant, and marriage as the suoJec-
tion of woman to the brute man.
She doesn't draw picture OF her
inner self in these terms, but the
world is quite familiar with Mrs.
Stantcn's peculiar ideas regarding
the creature man who persists IN
making the laws, filing the Offices
and nominalIy, st least, ruling the
world, though as matter of fact
woman rules man. "The decisions
of Judges" she says, "in many
cases show that the SUBJ
lection of woman is the very
essence of the law OF matrlmony
end how could it be otherHise when
the contract and all the statutes
governing it have been made by
one of the parties, while the other
has been profoundly ignorant of Its
provisions and spec fcations?" The
character or tenor Of her argument
may be readily ascertained from the
above, It is matter for wonder
that she can consent to slow mar
riages at all, entertaining the views
that she holds regarding the monn
ster man.
But while Mrs. Stanton argues
from false position the conclusions
that she reaches, namely: that di-
yorce laws should be liberal, is cor
rect. That people employ those
laws to obtain separations IS no re-
Rection upon the wisdom OF the
legislatures which framed them, but
rather upon the morals of the peoN
ple themselves. ItmSkes little diff.
ference how liberal the divorce laws
may be, go long as they do not open
the door to fraudulent divorces; the
laws do not incite to divorce, mol
breed the family disturbances which
lead to the separation of the hus-
band and wife; the statutes regulat-
ing divorce do not encourage mer
to beat their wives and treat then
brutally, nor impel husbands and
wives to disregard the sacred mar
rage vows; the divorce acts do no
stimulate mems appetite for drinl
and make drunkards of husbands
Cruelty inhdelity and intemperanc
LEAD to nine. tenths of the divorces
and neither of thess is iDcited, de
veloped or encouraged by literal @
strict divorce laws. 1t is a questio
which is more conducive to i'm
morality, laws which make it cas-
for the ill-mated to separate, or thos
which hold husband and wife to
gether against their wishes and i
a relation which becomes intensel
repugnsnt the moment that 1t ceas'
to be the pleasantest and hottest
life. To cay that any etatn1
can bring happiness into a
unhappy home is as ridiculous as
declare that a law can make vi
tuous an unfaithful man or woma
To bind perscns who are repugnant
each other 10 live together inten:
fies the misery of the parties, and
injurious TO society according as Il
persons so found can affect societ
The unholy relation also leads nj
and women, in their desperate
into evil and wro3g-doing; ey
into criminalities and bTuliliti
aga INST each other. & man
woman who is tied for life to W
or husband who IL offensive has
sorry lot.
The divorce evils of which
hear SO much do not lie in lite
divorce laws, but in laws and ecu
which permit of fraudulent divor
by which one psrty or the oihel
deplivedo of rights, or made to SUI
some wrong. either as to prope
matters or reputation. The
which permits one party 10 obi
a divorce without the knowle'
of the other is bad, being full
evil possibilities: but the stat
which allows two disconnected
sons 10 separate in order that b
may become happier and bette
oertainly not worse than one wh
binds them TO the lifelong pun
ment or torture OF living togethe