Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-19
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
Domestic Infelicity Reduced to Cold
Figures.


TIE COMMISSIONER OF LABOR APPLIES THE RULE
OF THREE To THE QUEsrIoS-MASY ODD CAUSES
FOR DIvoRcEs-GEoGRAPHY AND ITS RELATIONS
To MARITAL USHAPPISEss.
Why some people get married has always been
Something of a mystery. There is, however very
little uncertainty about the causes of divorce.
The court proceedings generally display them
In detail The labor bureau has about COM
pleied an important line of investigation For
the first time in this country a systematic
effort has been made to collect the statistics of
marriage and divorce. From these figures il
viii be possible to determine whether or not
divorces are on the increase, the relation of
divorce to marriage, and other questions Of a
similar character which have been much
discussed by social reformers and others
without however, very accurate information:
IN ms forthcoming report on marriage ana
divorce the commissioner Of labor carefully
weighs and estimates the amount OF marital In
felicity existing in this country. He also shows
the number of marriages and furnishes mate
rial for numberless deductions which he wisely
allows the public generally to make.
THE PROPORTION OF MARRIAGES AND DIVORCE.
One set Of tables in this report will show in
certain counties containing important cities
during the years of 1870 and 1880 the estimated
number of married couples to one divorce
granted Another table shows the per cent of
increase from 1870 to 1880 IN the estimated num-
Der of married couples and in the number Of
divorces. In the District of Columbia, for ex-
ample, there were, 1t Is estimated, In 1870 638
married couples to one divorce. and in 1850
there were 500 married couples to one divorce.
During the ten years from 1870 to 1880 the per-
centage OF increase in estimated marriages was
"a and In divorces 692. From these tables the
conclusion is drawn In the report that the same
feature Is observable in this country that has
become apparent in Europe-that not only the
increase Of divorces Is proportionately greater
IN the cities than in the country, but that the
ratio Of married couples to each divorce is
greater also. There are few exceptions to the
general condition. notably the cities of
Brooklyn, Detroit, Omaha, Pittsburg and Alle-
gheny. In the opinion of Commissioner Wright
the number of divorces granted in state does
notlndlcate the amount OF marital imfelicity ex-
isting there; neither in numbers nor in causes
can the true gauge OF such infeliclty be found.
Probably, he says, no statistics would determine
the truth. They simply determine the number
of cases in which the marital infehcity is SO
burdensome that the parties are willing to bear
publicity OF their most intimate relations
rather than longer to endure the burdens of
unhappy conditions. To ascertain the state OF
affairs, so far as may be indicated by the num-
Der of applicants for divorces, the reports from
20 counties scattered through IL states were
examined, and the results given in tables. 1t
was found that there we're 1855 applications
for divorce during the 20 years from 1867, and
SO42l DEGREES of divorce were issued, the latter
being 67.S per cent of the former.
GEOGRAPHY AND USHAPP1SEss.
"This rate, the Commissioner says, ''varies in
the different states. In Connecticut, for which
only one county is reported, the proportion is
about the same. and in Illinois, where twenty
nine counties are reported, 6,96S divorces were
granted on 10, 242 applications, the percentage
also being about the same for all the states
named. In Massachusetts about so per cent OF
the applications result in DEGREES. If the same
general proportion should hold good for the
whole country the 1875, 7l6 divorces must repre-
sent 4S4 ,6S3 applications. These figures, again,
OF course do not represent the total of mar
ried infelicity, but only that class which care
more for separation and the dissolution
Of the marriage relations than for
the publicity which a divorce suit brings
to them. But the facts disclosed in this table
do give gratifying assurance that judges ex-
ercise q reasonable care before issuing a decree
TOR divorce. For the counties covered by this
table it is certain that in about 30 per cent of
the cases Of petition a decree has been denied
The number Of cases involved is sufficiently
large and the localities sufficiently different to
lead one to the conclusion that the same state
OF affairs exists throughout the country, and
that our courts, instead of being careless in the
matter Of granting DEGREES, weigh well the
causes alleged, and do not grant DEGREES unless
ths allegations Of the hbellants are fairly sus-
tanned"
THE CAUSES.
An interesting part Of the report is that
where the causes for which divorce is granted
are discussed The commissioner says that the
difficulty of arriving at the exact cause for
which a divorce has been granted is greater
than would appear upon the surface. In a
large proportion of cases the decree simply
states that divorce was granted for the cause
alleged In such cases reference must be
made TO the libel to find out the cause alleged
and the evidence upon which the divorce was
granted.
OF the 32s7l6 divorces granted in the United
States for twenty years from 1867 PIG, 176, or
eos per cent Of the whole, were granted to
wives on their petitions for divorce from their
husbands, and ll2,54O were granted to hus-
bands for the fault of the wives, being 49, per
cent Of the whole number; that Is, in the
proportion Of nearly two TO one it is the wife
receiving a divorce rather than the husband.
The causes IN which wives are the petitioners
more largely than husbands are cruelty in
which the proportion Is as IA to /; desertion
In which 1t Is nearly l. to l, and drunkenness
In which II Is as sc to 1. Under neglect to
provide, of course. the wife only can be the
hbellant. In the combination of causes the
wife seeks the divorce in the proportion of
more than "A to l. But in adultery husbands
have obtained divorces in 49, S4 cases, while
wives have secured them In 20. 502; that is, Sc.
per cent of the whole number of DEGREES for
this cause were granted to the husband for the
adultery of the wife.
DISCRETION.
The cause for which the greatest number of
divorces was granted is desertion, the number
under this cause being l26, 676. or 1876 per cent
OF the whole number. 1t is apparent that the
divorces granted for drunkenness Is, Soc, or
AZ per cent of the grand total cannot in any
sense of the word, represent the entire number
In which drunkenness or intemperance is a
serious factor. An examination has been made
In forty-hve counties, some populous and
others not so, In twelve states, into the CUES
ton whether intemperance was a direct or in
direct cause, other than stated in the aliega-
tlons. The result of this examination is shown
In an accompanying table. by which it is learned
that of the 20 665 divorces granted in the forty
hve counties named. in 5, 800 cases. or 20 1 per
cent Of the whole number, intemperance was a
direct or indirect cause. From all the evidence
which can be gathered il Is probably true that
this more fully represents the part PLAYED by
intemperance in divorce than the facts where
drunkenness Is directly and singly alleged to be
the cause.
SOME ODD COMPLAINTS.
The report gives briefly the causes in num-
Der of cases upon which divorce was granted.
In one case where divorce was granted to the
wife il was alleged that .'the defendant (hus-
band0 does come home until IN oiclock