Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-05-20

one Is al first disposed to accord 1t; he
stated a principle which IL or ought 10
he constitutional with the whole
American people. "rhe American
home is the bottom met Of our Ameri.
can civilization and institutio ms, and
any evil invasion Of the home, whether
under political, social or religion.
gulse, Il 10 be resisted TO the ex.
treme OF force, II necessary.
We have been admitting to our
shores horde. Of people whose home
habits are not like ours, and who have
little appreciation Of what we mean by
home. We need not only 10 make the
rite Of marriage more sac red, and 10
guard the marriage relation with the
strongest sanctions, bu. to make IL
possible for every family living on our
soil 10 have true honc. guarded from
all intrusion and consecrsted TO Amer.
lean family life. In tho putlleus Of
our great cities and perhaps In the
poorer quarters Of our smaller cities,
home life Is scarcely possible. And
while we are thinking how 10 make
the Mormous obey the law, we have
problems nearer home which are quito
Rs difficult 10 solve, hut which must bs
solved II we mean 10 preserve the
integrity Of American home life."
Abiding 10 another phase Of the
same interesting subject, the New Or.
leans Picdyuns quotes statistics which
show that In the United States for the
twenty years osding In 1850, there
were 32s, nc divorce, granted, Of which
1882 were OF couples with children.
This prompts the Rcayune to ask what
lagoing to be done about It. Congress
having never undertaken 10 interfere
with the Institution OF MARI iago In any
Of the States beyond an effort TO sup
press polygamy In Utah, may II under
take 10 Interfere In cases where the
Institution Of divorce Is becoming 10
alarming In It's extent and tendencies?
That II ought 10, or tina, an attempt
at uniformity In state legislation on
the subject should be sought, few per-
sons will dispute who are familiar
with tho variety Of the usages that are
10 be me. with In different parts OF the
Union. In South Carolina, for instance,
there IL no cause that can lead to n
divorce, not even the scrip tural one;
while In Arizona a period OF desertion
extending over six months Ia a sum.
Client plea. Habitual drunkenness IL q
cause In many States, bat in Massa.
chusetts alone the opium habit IL
recognized ~ n Justification for legal
separation. In Kentucky "ungovern.
able temper" Ia legal plea; In Florida,
"cruel treatment, outrages, or such
excesses ~ 10 render their llv.
Ing together insuppostable;" In
Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and
Texas, 'such indignities as to render life
burdcnso me-" In Georgia, "threc
years with any religious society that
believes marriage unlawful;" In Viz
ginia, Fugitive from justice;" In
Illinois, "refusal OF wife to move into
tho State;v "imprIsonmc mt for felony"
In all States except Florida, Maine,
Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico,
New York, Utah, and, Of course, South
Carolina.
Then, NJ 10 restrictions on remar.
fiage by divorced persons, we find that
only In Conn ectlcut, Maine, Ken.
lucky and Illinois arc both parties
allowed an unrestricted choice In the
matter. Ia other States the plaintiff
may remarry, but the defendant Ia
prohibited during tho lifetime Of the
plaintiff, or for term Of years, and In
some cases remarrlage In violation Of
the law IL declared bigamy.
All these reminders go to prove the
truth Of the Springfield UHion's tint
observation; that tho Presldenps re-
marks may find applicability In other
parts, indeed In all parts, OF the great
American republic, wherever the
American home Is supposed to exist.
We agree with that view most heartily.