The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-20
NATIONAL DIVORCE REroRM.

enable congress TO regulate divorce and
marriage by federal enactment. Senator
KYLE is a weak brother, or he would
know that an amendment to the constitu-
ton is practically impossible. The consti-
tuition has not been amended since 1904.
save by the passage of the great war
enactments. The thirteenth amend
ment, even under the stress of the
war feeling, once failed of passage
before its final enactment in Feb
ruary, 1865. The other great amendments
were enacted shortly after the war and
their adoption was forced upon the South
ern states as condition of recon-
struction. There has been no
amendment of the constitution
since the days of reconstruction and
the passage of a constitutional amend
ment, giving to congress the regulation of
marriage and divorce, is as absolutely
hopeless as would be the passage of pro-
hibition or woman suffrage amendment.
The states today are so hopelessly divided
on these vexing questions of divorce and
marriage. woman suffrage and liquor legis-
ton that even if we assume that congress
should pass such an amendment it never
would be ratified by the requisite number
of states. Senator Kyle ought to know
this; probably he does know it. but after
the fashion of type clerical demagogues
he is talking to the galleries."
The ablest as well as the most recent
discussion of the divorce problem is found
in the address of Hon. Carroll d. Wright,
chief of the federal bureau of labor sta
tistics. delivered at the last meeting of the
National Unitarian Conference, held at
Saratoga, n. Y, in October, 1891. Mr..
Wright shows that prohibitive or restric-
tive divorce laws would in no wise cure
the evil of domestic infelicity. The argu-
ment for divorce for the one Scriptural
cause is that by adultery and through it
the divine and civil purposes of marriage
have been perverted, happiness been CON-
pletely wrecked. and the moral element of
society outraged. Granting this position
as sound, then whatever cause enventu-
ates in the same results must be logically
as adequate for divorce as the Scriptural
would. of course, wipe out divorce Stats
tics, but it would not extinguish evil
practices.
Divorce statistics do not measure the
marital infelicity or social misery of the
country, they "only measure that misery
which can no longer abide conditions
and when parties have the courage pub
lcly to seek release from demoralizing
relations" Marriage is for happiness,
and obtaining it the divine end of mar
riage is obtained, but if marriage is un-
happy the divine end of marriage has been
sadly missed, and divorce then more per.
fectly secures the divine end than confirm
alton of the compact. which may be under
some conditions ''the burden TO one of the
parties of the unholiest prostitution that
can exist'
Mr.. Wright, by an exhaustive examin-
alton of statistics, shows that so far from
liberal divo.ce laws enabling men ITO take
cruel advantage of women" that % per
cent. of the divorces granted during the
last twenty years have been in answer to
the petitions of wives; that is to say, in the
proportion of nearly two TO one 1t is the
wife who seeks divorce rather than the
husband. The statistics of divorce show
that forty-two causes are found, but tax
ing the whole country together, more than
81 per cent. of all DEGREES are for five great
causes, coming under the general heads
of: Adultery, 205 per cent; cruelty. IS. 7
per cent; desertion, SS5i per cent. :;
drunkenness. Az per cent and neglect to
provide, 2.42 per cent. The balance is for
minor causes and combinations of two or
more of the great causes with minor ones.
While America is more liberal in her
divorce laws than Europe there is not a
people on the face of the earth by whom
woman is so much respected, honored and
protected as by our people; there is not q
land where woman is happier or where she
holds so exalted and independent posi-
ton before the law as she does in this
nation. Our liberal divorce laws certainly
have not demoralized womanhood, de-
graded manhood, deteriorated the home
and the nation TO the level of European
life. To the objection that divorce is re-
sorted TO for unholy purposes Mr.. Wright
replies:
You must not use this argument II you do,
you must abandon civilization; for there is not
one step OF progress that does not carry along
with IL apparent and consequent evils. Educa-
ton, science, religion even, ali that ad0rns life
IN what we call civilized communities. are but
cloAks st times Tor the eyilminded. The rain
falls on the just and on the unjust; refreshing
showers give life TO the dishonest mans crops
as perfectly they do those of the saint TIE
purity of religion, the integrity of law, the
truths OF science, the grandeur of civilization
ara not impaired either by the motives or the
actions Of the base. We cannot use the Srgu.
ment without stuliihcston.
The charge made against our divorce
law that, not being uniform. certain states
are being overrun with persons of loose
moral character. who seek release from
marriage ties, has small foundation. Of
course persons Of loose moral character
will not take the trouble to leave their
home and state 10 crafty their guilty pas
sions; only those who find the marriage
ties too CALLING for endurance and vet
who wish 10 be Iaw-abiding citizens pre-
sumably, wall take advantage of liberal,
enlightened and humane laws, framed
with view TO increase the happiness of
the people rather than made in such a way
SIS TO foster immortality and enforced pros
titution.
Statistics show tina, but little less than
% per cent. Of all the couples divorced in