Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-05
DIVORCES.
To Stop Them Would Be to Increase HUI
man Misery and Encourage Crime
STERLING CITY, TEX, Oct q. 1891.

STERLING CITY, TEX, Oct q, 1891.
Editor Gazette.
Seeing several articles in your paper on
''The Family" by w. f. Lloyd, the princi
pal theme of which Is marriage and divorce,
l deem it but just that both sides of this
question be examined carefully. I will say
right here that do not desire to criticiSe
MIR. Lloyd or enter into any controversy
with him, but will only state my views free
from prejudice.
When we discuss any question which in
wolves the welfare and happiness of the
people, we must do so with reference to
things now existing and seriously affecting
us. The subject of divorce, and the remedy,
is one over which we ponder to-day and
the question arises whether or not the prac-
tice of granting divorces should be entirely
discontinued or whether check should be
given to Its rapid strides at the present
time.
1t will be conceded that marriage and di-
vorce affect only the happiness or misery
of men and women in their relations in this
world, since no tie is recognized in the
world to come, and so far as the public is
concerned they are questions of morals and
social economy. Marriage is the most i'm
portant, sacred and solemn contract into
which two people can enter, and since each
must possess certain qualifications defined
by law it is an established fact that other
qualifications, such as temperaments
habits, ETC., which are always the causes of
of divorce, cannot be restricted by any
statute law, since its abuse would be too
great. But to proceed, since no law can be
enacted that will determine whether two
people are suited or not, We find them mar
ried and seemingly happy for a few years,
and the parents of children. Now they
disagree, quarrel and possibly fight. all in
the presence of those dear little children,
who. you say, must be brought up in the
way they should go, and who can say that
pa is model man and ma is a model
woman. Who can deny that the man may
become drunken, beastly, british and de-
graded to the lowest depths of sin and mis-
eryl If no separation takes place we then
find children bred in deception, contention,
strife. and are future subjects of penal in
situations.
Is it right to compel the wife to continue
to live with man at the sight of whom she
trembles, who beats her, abuses her, ac-
cuses her of all manner of vile deedsl Must
she bear children for such a MANI What
man is so perfect in his nature that he can
not be deceived by a woman, If he finds as
the years go by that she is guilty of lewd-
ness, profanity and all that is degrading in
the presence of his children? Must this
man be compelled to continue miserable
life with her, and would the children be
better raised under the care Of such father
and motherl
Who does not know and who can deny
that a large number of persons who marry
are entirely unsuited, minated and un-
equally yokedl Must they continue to bear
their burdenss l should say yes were it not
for the children who will and must be reared
by such parents. In divorce cases let the
proof show which party is proper person
to raise the children and to this one let the
Judge give possession, or should both be in
fault let the children be divided as equally
as possible or taken from both, as the case
requires. To stop divorces is to increase
human misery, encourage crime, and as the
statistics of non-divorce societies shown, to
fill the penitentiaries.
S. W. MCCLURE.