The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-24


where divorce is either absolutely forbid
den or only granted for adultery.
The divorce Law in New York is treated
with contempt, not only by people of
ignorance, without much social character
or position TO maintain, but by the leaders
In fashionable society and in the church.
The daughter of bishop of the Episcopal
church, whose canons forbid divorce save
for scriptural cause, not many months
since secured divorce in Rhode Island,
with her fathers help. or At least his tacit
approval, which she could not legally Sc
cure in New York, and in the first rank of
New York society, upright women,
who are conspicuous in the churches.
do not hesitate to get divorces
for other than scriptural causes
In Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut or
Montana that would be denied them in
New York, and this action on their part
does not injure their standing particle
in society or the church. Whyf Because
public opinion has long ago reached the
sound conclusion that it is gross inhuman-
ity to force good woman 70 remain legally
bound to bad, worthless man, or, vice
versa, good man 10 a wicked, depraved
woman. unless adultery, not an easy thing
to prove, can be shown.
The increase Of divorce over the old days
is more apparent than real, for in most Of
our states divorce is granted for desertion,
for intolerable severity. which in most
cases can be made to cover the cases OF
chronic alcoholism, a situation OF moral
corrosion for mother and children that may
justly demand divorce. The practical abb
surdity of the New York law is shown by
the fact that New York parties who can
not secure legal marriage or divorce in
that state have only to step over the line
into Connecticut to secure what is denied
by the Empire state, and then returning
to the Empire state are treated under its
laws as legally married or divorced, as the
case may be.
Nobler and purer social philosophy Of
marriage taught at the home, the church
and the school, and more stringent and
carefully guarded marriage laws will
diminish appeals for divorce, which is
nothing but the explosion Of bad mar
rage that never ought to have been
solemnized. and which it is contrary to
sound public policy to maintain, if its
maintenance ties either a good man
or good woman legally to moral
corpse or social leper. A true mar
rage never troubles the courts. and
as a matter of practical morality we
are inclined TO agree with the theory
of Western liberal divorce laws that il
does not pay society to perpetuate mar
rage that in good earnest does trouble the
courts, since within enforced wedlock
both parties, if denied divorce, viii prob
ably insult morality ouite as much as they
would without its pale. The influences
that help, through domestic and religious
education. to teach boys and girls q manly
and womanly philosophy of marriage that
is instinct with moral delicscy and ir-
reconcilable with q mercenary and love
less union, are the most efficient enemies
of bad marriages, and only with the de-
crease of bad marriages viii divorces di-
minish.
1tF0AS@5 oAS tAc consequent va Do4 AsoA-
riayes, inst as the saloon is not the cause
but the consequent of the alcohol habit,
and, therefore, to the education Of moral
suaslon, as administered by the family, the
church. the school. the press and the ply
sician, we must look TO make our children
grow up to lives of temperance and virtue.
Neither prohibition will keep them sober
nor denial Of divorce make their married
life moral and content. The law can
punish, and restrain their turbulence,
but the Law cannot do the work
of education through the sound early
formative influences we have named; the
law stands for retribution rather than for
the reform of the offender, who has not
been educated to righteousness, or has de-
hberately chosen to sin against light.
You can educate a man to self-restraInt,
but you can not eliminate temptation
from the world; you can teach him
to abstain from evil If he will:
you can not save man by
prohibiting temptation; you can only save
him by teaching him to save himself by
resisting evil and holding fast to that
which is good. If he will not save him
self. the law cannot save him, but can only
protect society against his evil influence
and action by punishment or restraint,