St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-04
MARRIAGE CONDITIONS.

The statistics furnished by Commits
SiOner WRIGHT, or the national labor
bureau, of divorces in the country have
elected much general discussion of the
divorce question. His figures extend
over period of twenty years and cover
32S, 716 cases of divorce in the United
States. They show that the divorce
business is constantly gaining on the
marrying, and the percentage of increase
is much greater than of the population.
The 1887 of 1856? had become p. 30 in
1886. This Is tendency greatly depre-
Gated by most writers upon the subject,
and it is urged that it be made more
difficult to get out of matrimony in this
way. Mr.. WRIGHT. however, does not
regard divorce as the real evil in the
case. He would not restrict it unless
there were greater safeguards against
the contraction of msfit marriages.
Here is the main difficulty. He SAYS:
Il do not believe that divorce is a menace
to the purity and sacredness Of the family
but do believe that il Is Il menace to the in
fernal brutality, of whatever name and be il
crude or refined, which at times makes hell
of the hottest human relations.
None question that there is often too
much levity and lack of judgment in
entering upon this relation. Many
marry before they are physically or
mentally fitted for the estate They
have not gagged themselves, and have
but the most superficial knowledge of
the other party. Passion and the
glamor of state gilded by fancy lead
to rash and imprudent marriage. The
divorces are chiefly sought in the cases
where greater deliberatiOu aud more
brain work would have prevented the
connection. 1t may be conceded that
the state should interpose to prevent
those immature physically. or with anv
palpable barrier to fitness in the
estate, from entering upon it. 1t is one
of the Individual rights that must ONLY
be exercised in conformity to the gem
eral veal and recognized natural laws.
Bnt debatable ground is entered upon
when arbitrary conditions are eXacted.
In some of the European countries.
notably Germany and France, the gov
eminent lnterfereS a good deal. and
sometimes makes the way TO matrimony
difficult. In Germany the man must
show that he has some provision for the
ouPDOil VI a WIZ, vi LlicI llG HIS served
in the army the requisite time. AS a
natural result, the legal or church for
mulas are often absent from the rela-
ton. This Is immoral. and not to be
commenced by wholesome sentiment or
promoted by the state The European
restraints will not meet approval in
this country, nor is it easy to see how the
state can go much further than il has
in its intervention. The secret mar
riageS possible in some states should
not be allowed. Licenses should ALWAYS
be required and made public Some ad-
vanced thinkers would have the gov
eminent establish 4 sort of bureau to
pass upon the fitness of applicants for
the marriage relation. Those who have
faith that what is in the head can be de-
termined by its bumps, or lack of them
would have experts in phrenology de-
termine the relative adaptations. II
might be insisted also that the parties
should have specified period and ey-
tent of acquaintance with each other
Still, not much further interference bv
the state would be tolerable in this
country under the present social con-
ditions. 1t may, however, be insisted
that uniformity of divorce laws is am
urgent need.