The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-03-13
AGaINsr YosrAs suFFRAcE.
strong Appeal or rdinnlGibhens Against
q. Z. e -, - = I, ~.

Cardinal Gibbons to-day preached the
annual sermon on marriage and divorce.
During his remarks he narrated how Pope
Clement VII refused to sanction the d.
yorcc Of Henry VII from his lawful wife,
Catherine Of ARA 5on, and how pious IL,
when solicited hy Napolean, refused to
annul the marriage between the brother
Jerome and Miss fattison, who were mar
ried in Baltimore by the Archbishop Car
roll in 1903. lie continued:
..Christian wives and mothers, what i'm
mense debt 70 gratitude YOU owe to Christ
and his church for your emancipation and
dignity which you enjoy in this christian
commonwealth. If you arc no longer
slaves OF mans passions, like the women
of Asia. but his peer and equal; if you are
no longer tenant will, like wives of pa
gan Greece and Rome, but mistress OF
your household; il YOU are no longer con
fronted by rsurping rivals. like Aoham-
medan and Mormon wives, but if YOU arc
queen CT the domestic kingdom, YOU arc
indebted for this position to the church,
and especially to the sovereign pontilf who
have yindicated your honor when assaulted
by luStfu! men.
If YOU would retain that empire, shun
the political arena. avoid rostrum, beware
of unsexing yourselves. II you become
cmbroiled in political agitation, the
cucenly aurcola ,hat cncircles your brow
will fade away and the reverence that is.
paid to YOU will disappear. Ii you have
the vain ambition of rciening in public
life YOUR domestic empire will be at an
end
The subject Of divorces is invested with
a painful interest in our time and com
try. There are more divorces legally
granted in tie United States than in any
other christian country-more perhaps
than all other christian countries COM
bined In the SPACE of twenty years, ac-
cording to Official statistics, from 1867 to
1887. inclusive. $4,000 divorces were
granted in the nitcd States, that is to
say two-thirds OF 4 million of persons were
legally separated during that time. The
number OF divorces has steadily increased
since that time and beyond all proportion
to the general increase Of population. Di-
yorccs are granted OF the most iiimsy
pretexts, and throughout the country d.
vorce courts are established, which are
very appropratey called divorce mills,
since they grind out divorces with such
rapidity and crush ont happiness from the
domestic roof
Let Imagination picture TO Itself the
number Of homes made dcsolatc By this
DESTROYING angel, the number of husbands
and wives whose hearts are crushed and
whose spirits are broken; the number OF
children that are east upon the world be-
reft OF the father protecting arm and of
mothers love. who dare not cling to one
of their parents without arousing the
icalouslv and hatred OF the other
But is it not cruo and hearless TO COM
pei husband and vile 10 live together who
cannot SO live in peace and who are es
tranged from one another: / answer that
laws Of gospel Do not oiiige some persons
to dwell together ii there is no hope of
reconciliation between them. They are
allowed to bidc apart and 10 obtain d.
yorcc from he'd and board. But, YOU will
insist. is j; net cruel and unnatural to
condemn such nclsons TO 4 life of forced
cclibacy after they are separated: Would
it no; be more ncrci(ul to permit them to
enter into sacred rup.ials and enjoy the
society 0t a CO! Genial tiar!ncrin MARRIAGE?