Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-12

the two latter grant more divorces than any
other countries IL Europe.
In 1851 1.-THE figures are not given for lSS0)
the population of Germany was A. :2334 ,06l,
and the divorces issued that year num-
bered 3942 or one divorce for every II, 414
people in the empire In 1850 the popula-
ton of France was 81, 612, 04S, and there
were issued that year 1924 divorces, or one
to every IA, 1856 people. The record for
Great Britain England. ireland, Scotland
and Walesl for 1SSOis. population b, G26, los,
and the divorces granted that year num-
bered 419, or one to every So, 594 people.
Now what was the record for the United
for 1880, 1t was, population 30, 155, 7S3
Divorces granted that year 1868, or one to
every 255l persons in the country.
This showing is one that should cause
every American citizen to hang his head in
shame. But if we bring our own state of
Texas into the comparison, we viii find that
her record is not only far below that of
European countries, but is even below the
average for the United States. In 1850 the
population Of Texas was 1881, 149. The
number of divorces granted that year was
7s6, or one to every 2025 people in the state.
These figures need no comment. Well may
we ask, where are we drifting2 We have
been accustomed to think that in the sum
total of morals, and in the number of happy
homes, we were much nearer an ideal con-
dition than the old countries of Europe
Especially have we believed that France
and Germany were the centers of modern
infidelity, and that the former led all the
nations of the earth in the sin of lcentiouS-
ness and in disregard of the marriage VOW.
This may be true to a certain extent. l
doubt not but that in many respects our
American people are more markedly God
fearing people than the inhabitants of
France and Germany. II is true. however,
that they have much higher regard for
stHe sacredness of marriage, and much
keener senSe of the evil of divorce, Judging
from the reports, than is shown by the citi-
zens of this country. AS to Great Britain,
the home of our ancestors, the dwelling
place of the Anglo-Saxon peoples, from
whom We delight to tell that we have
sprung, the comparison reveals such an ex-
IRENE ratio oa Of difference renee that "a
Think of it: there are 1854 peo-
Pile in Great Britain to every divorce
granted, audin the United States there IS one
granted to every 255l persons. That is to
say that for every single divorce issued in
England there are thirry-two issued in the
United States. If we apply the figures to
our own state the result is even worse.
For every couple that secured legal separs-
ton in England in 1850, there were forty
one couples that obtained divorces in the
state of Texas. Comparisons may be obi
Gus, but il is sometimes necessary to make
them, not only that we may ''see ourselves
as others see u.s. but that w" ourselves
may see and know our real condition. ii
these facts do not put our moral and social
refor1ners to serious thinking, and then to
prompt action, it is surely because they
have folded their arms to a more than Rip
Van Wrinkle repose; yea, to sleep that Will
know no waking till the trump of doom.
Before proceeding further it will perhaps
be well TO give the commissioners 6etinl-
= / ..l lzG,,
MED the instructions to all agents of the de-
partment.:
Divorce is the act by which u state,
through its legislature or its judicia, de-
partment, diSsolves a marriage either
wholly or partially. There are two kinds
of divorces: First, legislative, or those
granted by special act of the legislature;
second, judicial, or those granted by court
acting under general law"
Divorces are of two kinds as to their
character-absolute and limited. In all the
United States, except South Carolina, an
absolute divorce may be granted. BY alb
solute divorce is meant divorce which
puts the parties back in the position of
single persons. Absolute divorce is in
nearly all of the states termed divorce a
VinculO matrimonii or from the bonds of
marriage. Limited divorces are those
granted for a separation, which are known
as divorces a mensa ct thoro, or from bed
and board"
The causes for which divorces are sought
and obtained are especially helpful to the
student of social science, in that they assist
him in solving some OF the problems pre-
scented. The figures which the commits
sioner gives ought not to be introduced here
without first hearing his words of qualifca-
ton and explanation. He says: ''Ihe diff
Guilty of arriving at the exact cause for
which Z divorce has been granted is greater
than would appear upon the surface, or
upon casual examination of the subject.
> 1t is the habit of lawyers in draw
ing petitions 10 allege everything that they
think there is possibility of proving. 50 |
oftentines i'll libelS for divorce they allege |
adultery, desertion and cruelty, and perhaps |
one or two other things for which the laws I
of the state allow divorce. 1t is apparent, |
then, that when decree is granted for
cause alleged, il is quite impossible to de- |
termine which cause alleged is the one sus-
tanned and it may not be true that all the |
causes alleged were really proved to exist. |
If this condition OF affairs exists, recourse |
has been had sometimes to the evidence. to |
see on what grounds the court really \
granted the divorce. When the evidence |
does not indicate this, then all the causes |
alleged in the libel have been reported. no |
other course being possible. 1t is |
also true for another reason, that the causes |
alleged do not accurately disclose in all |
cases the real cause for which divorce is |
sought, even when they show the single, |
precise cause for which the divorce is |
since parties are quite likely to |
state that cause which is most easily |
proved, or that which involves the least |
amount of moral turpitude, and which, if |
proved, results in the least humiliation of |
all concerned.
These facts are established by study |
Of the divorce question. New
York grants absolute divorce for but one
cause-adultery. She grants limited di-
vorces tor other causes. But suppose the |
legislature should amend the divorce law of
that state by allowing the courts to grant |
divorces for desertion, neglect to provide,
or cruel treatment, the result would be, TO
q certainty, that the number of divorces
granted for adultery would rapidly fall in
the scale, for if a party seeking divorce can
prove adultery, and can also prove deser-
ton, or neglect to provide, or habitual |
or cruel treatment, in large
proportion OF cases such causes would be
set up instead Of the grayer offense of |
adultery
We now turn to the tables and read the
figures. OF the 32S, ZIG divorces granted in
the United States for the twenty years
from 1851 to 1856, 216,176 or 65.S per cent of |
the whole. were granted to wives on their
petition for divorce from their husbands, |
and IL, $50, or 34.2 per cent, were granted |
TO husbands for the fault of the wives.
That is the proportion of nearly two to one
1t is the wife receiving the divorce rathers