Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-08-23
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
lJudgc John L. Strother, i'll st. Louis Chris
ti.n A,lyo.ate

tihn AdvOrate.
1t is, and has long been, mystery to
me how the modern advocates of "wO-
man's rights" ran appeal to the bible
for support of their doctrine, and in
denuncintiOn OF those who differ from
them in opinion. There are some
further political rights which might
well be conferred Oh unmarried women
who are of age, for the better protec-
ton of their person and property so
long as they choose to remain alone. il
it could be SO arranged as not to be-
come u temptation to the married to
seek dissolution OfIhe bonds of mat
rimOny. 1t was said to mother Eve,
and through her to married women
ever after, as l suppose, "Thy desire
shall be to thy husband, and he shall
rule over thee." The great apostle
said: "Wives submit yourselves unto
your husbands as unto the Lord. For
the husband il the head OF the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the church.
Therefore, rs the church is sub
ject unto Christ, 80 let the wives be TO
their own husbands in everything" :"
So much for power, authority, head
| ship. Bnt as | do not refer to this
| matter merely or chiefly to speak of
woman's rights but chiefly for another
purpose, will show the reciprocal
duty by continuing the quotation {:
"liusbantls, love your wives, even as
Christ loved the church and gave him
self for it. Nevertheless let
everyone Of you in particular love his
wife even AS himself; and the wife sec
| that she reverence her husband.' This
teaching Is brief and comprehensive.
How does our civil society quadratc
| with this doctrine in its practice? One
thing is nndeniable. In the full prac-
tice OF that teaching there is no room,
or place. or occasion tor divore" for a,au
cause; for 10 cause could be given.
Yet what are the facts So frequent
arc divorces becoming in the eastern
states, and so frequently are the laws
violated and evatled, and SO frivolous
the prctcxts for separation that some
learned writers are calling for the in
tcrposition of the power of the federal
government for such legislation to be
authorized by amendment to tho con-
stitutiOr, elf need be, as will ut least
give uniformity to the attempt to cure
this crying evil, and thereby reduce its
volume" But the evil is by no means
confined to the eastern states. If the
divorce statistics of Missouri were care
fully compiled they
"Would tale unfold
Would makotho blood run cold"
There are many subjects of litigation
among the multifariOus affairs of any
large community, and divorce suits are
only one of the many classes: sfin '.' a
ua1ltls,. .....l cultivated county IN the
interior of this state, possessed of rare
educational and religious advantages,
ut one term of count, OH a docket cOil-
tanning total OF one hundred and forty
cases of all kinds, Twenty-Five OF them
were suits for divorce. In another III
terror county adj"ining the former,
there stands at this moment upon the
docket thirty-elght applications for di-
vOrce.
The law affords the opportunity y
when one OF the statutory causes is e--
tablished by the requisite proof; and
when this is dOne, the court must obey
the law and accord the statutory right.
The law requires that when the sllit is
undefended Tex parie, us it is caileD
the plaintiff must prove that he or she
is an innocent and injnr d party, and,
to show the innocence, the court will
require proof of good conduct before
and since the separation. Sometimes
the plaintiff furnishes this proof and
goes from the courthouse across the
street ami gets married to another! La
| one case it turned out that the licehs,
for the next marriage had been issued
several days before the divorce was OBJ
tanned. La fact the grOssesl deceptiOns
and frauds are Iracticed III the courts
in these matters, which the closest
scrutiny tails 10 detect. Some alleged
facts have been brought to the notice
of The writer which seem so incredible
that forbear to mention them. II
seems that twenty seven Thousand di'
vorccs have been obtained III New Eng
land in the last thirty years, thus aver
aging nearly one thousand y year, IL
the whole time be coi,niei; but it goes
on in ever increasing volume, the ri'
| tiG of increase Deim" about "A per cent
| Is tins the social penalty of augment
| ing civilization fungus growth of lib.
erly insuilicicHlly regulated by law
Here il food for serious reflection, IL
this centennial year of American Meth
odism. What business has the churcl
with this question !? Her doctrine may
be right Oh this subject, 80 that i'll hcI
! official capacity she may not be derelict
But what is the duty of that vast multi
tnde who compose her individual mem
bership What of the DEMONSTRATING
of children in reference 10 social dutic:
i and virtues of such stupendOus magnl
! tudc and mighty import Huma" Law
I; is the Outgruwth and formulation o
public sentiment into rules OF civil con
u duct. A healthy public sentiment re-
suits in wholesome laws. No law II
war with public sentiment can be eli
forced against human appetites ant
passions. Public sentiment is an agg
yregatiOn OF individual sentiment, am
Individual sentiment is chiefly moulded
in tho family circle, in the Sabbath an
other educational schools, and from tn
: pulpit and press; generally in the or
der here named. Has the church don
its duty respecting this subject in thes
: departments Of moral teaching
/, PROFOUND this question as worth
of serious consideration. LII L have 81
, cured the readers attention thus tal
, tho next inquiry may be what can W
. do, and where shall we begin ? l
1 thorough indOctrinatiOn of the mind &
, the youth with the bible teaching, II
, specting the reciprocal duties OF hus
| band and wife, both by example an
T. prcccpt, constitutes the first lesson. 1
< loving husband and dutiful wife
: this il the bible picture. ''Hc sha
e rule over thee! The husband is til
s head of tho wife," wives subm
c yourselves to your own husbands. o
the other land-'' Husbands love you
n wives"-''let every one of you i'll pal
ticulur love his wife even as himself
: and tho wife see that she reverence ht
: husband" If these short rules wei
n observed there never would be All al
picatiOn for divorce, Of course. Man
a OF these domestic troubles result frOI
], has Y and incOilsitlerate marriage
Il Against these the watchful training {
tho church should be persistently d
recicd. How many perils to the pcac
of home, 10 the happiness of liic ~tim'
the social status of communities,
children yet unborn might be avoide
by careful domestic training again.
y = this dangerous evil L know full we
tho difficulty sometimes of repressii'
= the gushing stream of the young heart
!. !. ovcrmastering and often misplace
!, affections; | know, too, that sometime
~ - the watcllfui eye OF parental love is fas
y y cii,atcd by tho glitter of gold or tn
: skilliul display of tawdry word-pic
}. lures mistaken Tor tho fruit OF taien