The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-27
Marriage and Divorce.


OF all the subj cts brought before the
general convention Of the Episcopal church,
which adjourned las. Thursday, the one that
excited the greatest and widest interest
was that of marriage and divorce.
A new canon on this subject, comprising
the groundwork of the existing canon with
proposed amendments, was introduced and
debated at considerable length. Some
rather radical differences of opinion,
| however, soon cropped out, and
| further consideration of the canon
was postponed until the next general con
vention. These differences were mainly
with regard to the prohibition of secret
marriages and marriage with the deceased
wife's sitter. 1t is probable that the canon
would have been adopted had it not been
fer this prohibition.
While there is no doubt that the good
of society requires that marriages
shall be performed in public, or at
least in the presence of witnesses,
and that a public record Of them
shall be kept, there are instances in which
private marriages are excusable and even
advisable. Such instances may not be of
frequent occurrence, but the fact that they
do occur would seem to justify the con-
clusion that a rule absolutely prohibiting
private marriages would not be a wise one.
The question Of marriage with deceased
wife's sister is an old one, but in this country
there is no very strong sentiment against a
marriage of that kind. There is some
ground for saying that the sentiment which
exists is gradually becoming weaker, though
perhaps those who oppose the marriage of
persons within that degree of affinity
would not admit that it is. Doubtless the
deceased wife's sister issue will be quite
meeting of the next general convention,
and in that convention it may be possible
to finally and satisfactorily settle it.
The Protestant Episcopal church has
always been strongly against divorce.
Indeed, it does not permit it, except for the
cause mentioned in scripture. 1t holds that
persons who make mistakes in marriage
must endure to the end the consequences of
them. That this position is the only wise
one there can be no doubt The family is
the foundation of civilized society, and the
family must be preserved, If marriage
could be dissolved for very slight causes
the knowledge of that fact would encourage
hasty and ill-considered marriages People
would marry with the understanding that
If they were not satisfied they could have
their marriages dissolved. Husbands and
wives would make no serious attempt to
settle their differences. If they found the
marriage relation becoming irksome they
would seek to bring about condition of
affairs that would enable them to get a
divorce
The churches have a great duty to per-
form in this matter of divorce If they do
not take firm stand in favor of the sacred
ness and indissolubility of the marriage tie,
the sentiment in favor of freer divorce will
become so strong that legislatures and
courts will yield to it, and the divorce evil
will assume far greater proportions than it
has at present. Indeed. christian ministers
could not do society greater service than
to make an earnest, persistent, and united
effort to have the cause for divorce in all
the states Ii nited to the scrlpturAl one.