Telegram-herald., 1890-07-21
A SHIELD FOR SIN
The Shameful Use Nade OF the
Divorce Courts.
MARRIAGE BECOHES 4 IRlyEn
Judgs BarlinEA1ae Dcnosnoss = CersAin
ClAss 81 Msa a. scoaaarei,- tas
Sass 1hsy AsFry N sineu " IN
out the SAaCtsts OF Law

"This world is made up Of misery,
wleksdness and Noe with 2n occasional
ray of sunshine and IN 40 place can Il
be better studied than IN court Of
equity" 4" remarked Judge Burlingame
a few days ago. He had just rendered
decision decreelng a woman divorce
from = man whom she called her has
band, bat N fact be could lay bat little
claim 10 such q proud title.
Il consider thatI have done the man
more Of a favor than the woman
although she is now rejoicing over her
freedom" continued the judge. "The
dNorce LAWS Of this country are but
trayesty on justice when II comes 70
such cases rs these, and there are thou
sands OF the same kind IL the courts
every day"
Judge Burlingame is somewhat of
philosopher aud be has made a study
of marital troubles since he has o.
eupied the bench and the remarks winch
/ follow should certainly serve a.
warning 10 Young girls who are about
10 embark on the sea of matrimony.
Marriage Was originally intended as
one of the greatest blessings God could
confer upon man bat Us sancuty has
been polluted and more misery has been
caused by il during the last century
/ than one can imagine SAID the
! Judge, "The divorce law and tie ease
/ with which divorce can be obtained
in this country Is what has caused all
tins misery.
About one half Of the suits for
divorce are brought on the ground OF
desertion. II you read the declaTa-
tlOns you Will find the woman Is the
| complainant and she charges that her
husband deserted within short time
after marriage. What is the cause OF
this? you VIII ask. 1t ls easily e1-
| planned. There are men IN this world
| who are worse than murderers. They
are legallzed soducer IN fact who prey
upon the yirtuous of our land. These
| villains, however, are shrewd and there
is no law 10 stop there awful work.
These men walk III our midst and
many of them are respected and sue
cessful in life, from business stand
point. They mingle IN society and are
feted by ambitious mothers. Iheir
mode of procedure Is hardly cred
ible, but it Is only too true. ! see the
result of their work every day. They
enter a family like "a serpent aud WIN
the love OF fair daughter. The girl
believes that hc Is sincere and she
places confidence Ia him. But GO you
think there Is any love IN hls heart.
No; he does not know what the word
means. That finer feeling ne has never
expeuenced. lie courts her ami finally
wins the word from her lips which she
gives with her whole soul. The marrl-
age takes place and he lives with her
for a few weeks. Then he disappears
and the young woman aWakens 10 ma
herself a deserted wife.
"She waits and waits III vain for HE re-
turn, but be never comes. Finally
there is nothing left for her TO do bat
TO face the shame and degradation %
her situation, and soon the papers are
ringing with the news that she has aye
piled for diyoSe. There is Of course
no defense offered and all the court can
do i to grant a decree.
"Don't let any person imagine that
the renegade husband is ID any way
put out about the divorce. No, be is
only too happy, and as | said before, be
is the one who has been most favored.
] consider that IN granting such d.
vOrco that / make myself partner 20
the crime of the man; but, viewing Il
from another standpoint, the woman
should be separated from the unprln-
cipled scoundrcl.
This man, or criminal, as / should
more properly call him, Is again free
to follow his viii. and soon another un-
. suspectlng femalcto whom hehas taken
q fancy, tails into ms clutches and shc
: is treated IN the same manner as his
( former victim. And SO be continues
without any check 20 stop him.
"Ihus II Will be seen that toe divorce
law Is an EVIL which can not be remed-
led too soon. The Legislature OF this
State passed q bill a few years ago CIV
ing the judges power ID grant DEGREES
and at the same time enter 4 clause
prohibiting either one OF the divorced
parties from marrying again IN two
years. The penalty for not complying
with this restriction is that they can b,
: prosecuted for bgamv. This was The
first move toward purifying the bonds
Of mair.mony and whenever ] see q
case the same rs ! have described /
take advantage Of the restriction.
This, however, Is only temporary
and does not have the desired effect
Before a divorce is granted the cOur'
can order the man 20 pay temporary
| alImony and II he does not do 50 h'
| can be cast INTO jail and held until hf
| does. Afterwards, however, the cOur
: loses all jurisdiction over him. All
r | monv can'be dccreed but nine times ou
2 OF ten It IS never paid. IT becomes Z
. | simple debt and the woman can cOiiec
, | it if be IS willing 90 pay II. Iher'
2 should be a law that would change al
: this. Tie man should be obliged C.
] support the woman in these cases and
the court should be empowered 10 com
I pei hlm t0 do 30 OF 90 {,
, / jail. Such Stringent measures. thouei
I should only be used IN such instances
as have cited The woman has don'
nothing wrong and the least that coulC
BE- done for Der would be- tnis. III
T. knavery should pull upon hIs purs
7 / strings 90 such 81 extent that be- wOuil
p / think twice before be attempts 70 bligh
w0man's life. I do not think. nov
| ever, that I VII see the time when suci
. law VIII be passed, hat ] hope ] vii
lt is an al important question whici
! should be agitated throughout the land
| Every state Leg stature should take )
! / up and, until they do. there vii con
| tinus 10 &c tins impuritv in marriages.