The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-10-08
TIE ITALIAN DEyOaCEB;LL
May Marry on CrIaI.

The Divorce bill brought before Par
hamcnt by the Italian Ministry seems
httie short OF a proposal 20 revolution
l2e marriage. 1t provides that when a
man and wife have separated fer a per.
lod OF three years-prosi,lei they have
no children. or for i've years. provided
they have chlidren-thc agsrieved par
ty can obtain a divorce. This is simp-
~ an abolition of permanent marriage,
and gives to either husband or wife
only temporary interest in the mar
riage relation.
OF course this bill is os5ensibly de-
signed to afford relief to wife or hus.
band, rs the case may be, who has been
deserted. In practice, however, the
law would permit the voluntary sepa-
ration and subsequent divorce of all
married people. If q man and wife
should grow tired of one another with
II month after marriage they would
only have 10 agree to live apart from
one another for specified time, and,
IN case the marriage should prove un-
frnitfri, they would have only three
years 10 wait in order to dissolve the
marriage bond and 20 seek more con.
genia. partners. The party bringing
the suit for divorce could easily claim
to have been tieserte J, and the defend
ant certainly would not deny this
Claim There will. therefore, be no
certainty n case the Divorce bill be-
comes s law that any Italian marriage
VIII last ever seven years 1t the fur
thest. Certainly the Italian Ministry
has left yerIE far behind tho Catholic
theory o. ;le indissolubIity Of mar
r;agc.
IL is Got creditsb.e to the boldnesS or
the honesty of the originators of the
Divorce bill that they have failed to
word it frankly and to cali ii bill for
the substitution of temporary marriage
in place Of permanent marriage. 1t
should have provided that every Italian
marriage shall hold good only for
term OF years, say seven years in cases
where children are born and FIVE years
in cases where there are no children.
They would have then had the merit
OF saying exactly what they mean. No
italian man or woman would, in case
such law were passed, bo put to the
trouble and expense OF seeking q di-
vorce. At the end Of five or seven wears
every husband who WAS satisfied with
his wife would renew his lease Of her,
and every wife who was dissatisfied ,,
with her husband would refuse to be
remarked to him and would seek a
more satisfactory husband. In case
the husband declined to give up his
wife at the expiration Of his lease she !
could proceed to disposscss him by aid |
OF an order Of the court, and could |
probably obtain damages from him |
sufficient to enable her to buy a new
wedding outfit. In exceptional cases |
o husband who had secured very de- |
sirable wife might make it part of |
the first marriage contract that he |
should have the right to renew his |
lease of her for second period of five |
or seven years, and of course the lease |
would contain provisions requiring the |
husband to keep the wife in good re-
pai- and to pay tho annual insurance /
premium on her life.
The divorce question, which has so |
long plagued Franco. il evidently to |
plague the other Latin nations. In
stead of drawing ingenious divorce bills
designed to conciiiate those who are
to divorce in any circum-
stances and those who ere in favor Of
unlimited divorce facilities. legislators
would do well to take the bull by the !
horns, as the italian Ministry has done,
and to make marriage leasehold priv
1ege. Temporary marriages arc the
easiest solution of the divorce problem,
and If they do not commend them
selves to narrow-minded persons who
still believe in Christianity, they viii
meet the warm approval OF
the Communists and athcists.-Nesy
York Tunes