Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-19
BROKEN BONDS.
The Greas Divorce Market for Dissssis.
Nd Psople-rhsir Rush to Chicago
Tewn-Let Them Hurry Up,
FOR the Illinois Judges are Getting Tired
of strangers ana Propose to Oonfin De.
ereee TO Oiiizsns of Illinois.

CHICAGO, Ill, May 7.-Eavious on
lockers m.y deny Chicago's right to be
considered an art center or sest of Gull
ture and learning, but they cannot gain
say her pre- eminence in the matter of d.
vorces. This bustling and progressive
city has gained almost as much reputa-
ton by her divorces IS by her conf,gra-
tions and pork. Jokes and gibes CON-
corning Chicago divorces pass current
everywhere. "Chicsgoi Ten minutes
for divorced" shouts the brakeman on the
minstrel stsge, and thousands laugh.
Why they should laugh cannot imagine,
for there is no more serious business than
this one of getting divorce. II you do
not believe it, try 1t. Bat do not for your
own sake, fail into the error, more or less
common throughout the country, of
believing that IN Chicago divorces are
given for the asking, or sold as glasses
of beer or boxes OF bonbons and other
delicacies and necessities are sold in the
shops. Divorce hunting morials have
come here believing they could procure o
divorce the day after their arrival and in
time to catch the evening train for home.
It is not necessary to pie
ture their disappointment. While
it is true that Chicago, facile and
foremost in all things, does carry on the
divorce business with something like neat
ness aad dispatch, 1t is also true that
there are certain forms to be observed
here IS elsewhere, certsin conventionali-
ties and amenities which must be re-.
spected.
Chicago is not as bad as she is painted
in the divorce line, MGR in any other. for
that matter, and Just now our courts are
making an effort TO exercise little more
dignity snd circumspection in their di-
vorce proceedings, such as closing their
doors against the Saturday crowds, which
have long made "divorce day"a carnival,
or, as We say in the wild west, picnic OF
SIP, sorrow and scandal. People who do
not live In Chicago, but who have been
making ready 20 come here for season
for certain purpose, will be interested
in knowing that the courts are also
making an effort to discriminate against
and entirely circumVent the numerous
matrimonial squstters who pre-empt g
brief and fseting Chicago residence with
the sole idea Of taking advantage Of the
lax divorce laws of Illinois.
Still, even including the imported
cases, Chicsgo's divorce record compares
favorably with that OF Puritan New En-
gland. Here one divorce is granted to
sixteen marriages. This is bad enough,
heaven knows. But even this proportion
is not so great as that in Connecticut,
where one marriage out Of eight ends In
divorce, nor so discoursgtng as that in
Rhode Island, where two weddings out OF
seventeen have g divorce sequel, nor yet
so agreeable to the lawyers as the show
ing made by the farmers of Vermont,
among whom there il divorce In every
dozen marriages. Even Massachusetts,
is more fond OF divorce than Illinois, the
average there being one dissolution for
every fi'een marrisges.
AS in every state of the Union, as well
as in every civilizsd country where di-
yorce is recognized at sill, disobediepce
OF the Seventh commandment ie in Illi-
uois sufficient Cause for divorce absolute.
Other causes In this state are assertion
for period * ;eeding two years, extreme
and repeated cruelty, habitual drunken
ness, bigamy and felony. But these are
not the most lax laws to be found in this
country. In Indiana, Connecticut and
some other states non support is q good
ground, while In some others 80 slight
and common q misfortune as incompati-
b,lity OF temper will suffice. In New
York and one or two of the New England
states adultery is the sole cause for
which sbsolute divorce is granted,
and in 'thoss states DEGREES are ex-
ceedingly rare.
A great source OF trouble in Illinois is
that while the law requires complainant
to hsye been for at least one year an
actual resident of the state, it does not
compel the Offering Of proof of such -esi-
dence. And when, IS Is generally the
csse with these imported suits, no de-
PENDANT appears In court, and conse-
uuently there is no enc to dispute the
claim Of legal resid nee, the applicant
stands q very good chance. True, the
Judge sometimes has his suspicious
aroused, and is inclined to ask pertinent
questions for his own satisfaction, but II
the eager seeker for relief from matrimo-
nial woe is willing to commit perjury
and he generally is-the court Is COM
PEELED to believe the story and hear the
evidence.
Tne weakest point In the Illinois law Is
that it does not require personal service
of any process upon the defendant. Sup
nose New Yorker, or Californian, or @
resident of any other state, wants to get
rid of his wife. He sends her to her rela-
tives on visit, and himself takes the
train 10 Chicsgo. Going into court there,
he makes eff tsyit that he has been resi-
dent Of the stste year; that his wife Is
nonresident, and that her whereabouts
lis to him unknown. The court grants
him permission to give notice to the de-
fendsnt that suit for divorce has been
commenced against her shy publication
in shy newspaper OF general circuia-
tionn once week for four
weeks. This advertisement is of
course printed In the most obscure news
paper that can be found, where the
chances are ten to one against the wife
ever seeing or hearing OF it. Then the
husband CONES into court with his aRda-
Wit of publication, no defendant appears,
the cooked up and perhaps largely false
evidence is presented, and decree quick
" follows. Scores of divorces have oeen
put through these courts in this shamer
less manner. and, though the judges are
now more suspicious and ex.cting, fraud
ulent cases are still occasionally rushed
through. But q few weeks ago womsn
came here from New York on hearing
that her husband had secured divorce
hos q