Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-05
TALKING Or DIVORCE.
A Report Made to the Pastors Alliance
of the District.

The pastors alliance Of the District Of Co.
lumbia held yesterday ut Foundry church its
semi-annual meeting. There was good at
tendance Of the members representing most of
the Protestant churches. The annual election
of officers resulted as follows: President, Rev.
DIR. John II. Elliott, pastor of the Church Of
the Ascension; vice president, Rev. s. H.
Greene Of Calvary Baptist church; secretary
and treasurer, Rev. DR.. George Elliott, Of
Foundry church; members Of the executive
committee, Rev. DIR. Butler Of Luther Memoir
ial church. and Rev. mir. George o. Little of
the Assembly Presbyterian church.
Reports were received from several Of the
standing committees, and among them was the
following report OH divorce, presented by Dr.
John n. Elliott:
The committee on divorce respectfully re-
port that Congress not having been in session
since the last meeting Of the alliance, there
has been no opportunity to secure such modi-
ication of the laws for the District on the sub
ject the alliance some time ago instructed
the committee to labor for.
Your committee would invite the attention of
the alliance to the report on marriage and di-
vorce made by Carroll D. Wright. commits
gress and about to be published. An early
copy has been kindly placed in the hands OF
the chairman of the committee. The following
statistics are taken from this work. The num-
Der of divorces granted in the United States
for the twenty years 1S67-lS86 was $685. of
which all but 2.O99 were absolute. The num-
Der granted in 1867 was 1887; in 1886, 25 $685.
This was an increase in divorce Of l57 per cent
while the increase in population was probably
about 60 per cent II to the 328.7l6 couples
divorced there be added their children SO far
as ascertained the result will show that, unless
the same person was twice divorced. there we're
9=5.l7l persons involved in these DEGREES of
divorce. or the whole number nearly two
thirds were granted to wives on their petitions
for divorce from their husbands.
That is in the proportion of nearly two to one
it Is the wife suing for and receiving divorce.
Collating the laws of the states and terri
tories it appears that AZ statutory causes exist
for absolute divorce and 80 for limited divorce.
Cause No. AZ, for absolute divorce, is thus
stated: ANY other cause deemed by the court
sufficient, and when the court shall be satisfied
that the parties can no longer live together"
In the District Of Columbia the number
granted in the twenty years was los. In 1867
rs were granted; in 1856, rs. by quiri-
quennial periods they were as follows: 16l, 318
Z94, 1872 In 1870 there were 63S married couples
to one divorce; in 1880, ten years later, sos
couples. or the ]. los divorces granted in twenty
years 3Os were given to the husband and 797 to
the wife, showing that in the District the wife
is sutton IN larger majority Of cases than in
the country at large. As TO the causes: There
we're granted for adultery-to the husband 1l3
| to the wife l04; for cruelty-to the husband IL.
to the wife 49, for desertion-to the husband
ia, to the wife 30e; for drunkenness-to the
husband Is, to the wife, "a, &c.
Your committee hope that as the revelation
Of the great extent Of this evil has been made
by act of Congress, SO Congress may undertake
| where its power extends, some reformation OF
the evil.
The alliance adhered to its former action
directing the committee to petition Congress
for revision of the laws for the District OF
Columbia.