Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-14

the decision of the Judge TO whom the de-
mand should be addressed, he being free
either to authorize or refuse the change.
This ridiculous provision is causing in
France to-day an immense amount of harm.
Some tribunals are conservative while others
are radical and their dissensions in demands
for transformation from separation to divorce
are arbitrarily governed by their personal
opinions and preudices. So true is
this that it Is impossible to predict
with tolerable certainty and without any re-
gard to the merits Of the case the results of
such demands by simply ascertainng the
court which has jurisdiction over the case.
Such an application, IL made in Paris or
Caen, is sure to be granted; whereas if made
in Rennes, it will be refused nine times out
Of ten. The chamber Of deputies recognizes
the iniqutous character of this law and de-
sires to remedy it, but the conservative sem
ate refuses to consent. The senate, on the
other hand, proposes to amend the law in an
other respect At present woman who is
separated from her husband, but not
divorced, does not enjoy full indcpend-
ence IN the disposal of her prop
erty. Her husbands consent is
necessary to the validity of any contract she
may wish to make. This is the cause Of con-
slant annoyance to the woman. l regret to
say that in many cases the husband is con
temptable enough to demand money for his sR
nature. This dependentant position often be
comes 80 intolerable to a separated wife as to
force her to apply for absolute divorce in ac
cordance with article 3l0
In order to check the movement on the
part of separated women toward divorce the
senate has proposed an amendment assuring
women, in cases of separation, full indepen-
dence in the disposal Of their property. But
this the chamber opposes resolutey seeing in
this proposed measure n purpose to
strengthen the position of the church. So
there the matter stands at dead lock and in
the meantime society has to suffer from the
jealousy of its supposed protectors.
But all this is merely one side of the ques
tion. Were marriages a perfect success di-
vorce would be unheard of. 1t is interest
ing to consider whether the causes which
prompt husband and wife to break the word
which they have plighted are more prolific
IN France that in other countries. Since the
law of 1854 was passed there has been in
France annually about three thousand cases OF
divorce and about for thousand cases of sep
aration. The number of these latter has re
manned substantially what it was before the
passage of the law, but comparing marriages
in France with marriages abroad figures are
of little service. First, because international
statistics on the subject do not exist,
and chiefly because even were they to be had
statistics represent only very imperfectly
the real condition of things. In England
and many other countries the expenses con
nected with divorce proceeding are so great
that the large majority of unhappy couples
is
rather than make an appeal to the law. One
fact, however stands out beyond dispute,
that the absurd and wicked custom of isoat-
ing young women from young men so that in
many cases the bride and groom stand before
the altar on their wedding day all
but strangers to one another is the
most frghtful canse of mischief aud
unhappness in after married life.
A few formal calls to leave the prescribed
banquet, few hurried turns in ball room
and few constrained interviews in the
presence of punctilious belemere are no
means by which young man is to find out
whether girl will make him good
wife and whether their dispositions will blend
happily together in the long journey ahead,
and, in short, whether the feelings they en-
tertain for each other are really those of love
all this France stands far behind. Even
Norway and Sweden are long way behind
England and especially very far behind Amer
lea. 1t is for reasons such as this
that in too many cases, French women only
come to know what love really means after a
loveless marriage has given them their lib
erty. 1t IS for reasons such as this that
French husbands are unfaithful that young
men in France look at chastity as n dream,
that one third of the births in France are lille
gitmate, that women in France cease to care
for the glory of motherhood and
| that the population of France is re
| naming stationary while that of America
| is forging ahead with the vigor of purer IDEAS
| and simpler customs. Oh, we have much to
| learn from your glorious republic. Were | a
| young man l should leave my country much
| as love 1t. ! should leave old worn out Eu-
rope cast my lot in the land of the free, the
country of the future-the United States Of
| America