Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-12-12
THE oHRIsrIAN FAMILY.

l
[ts Foes, Marriage and Divorce Laws
Defects OF Educational Methods
DIR. Dikess Discourse mt the Calvary
baptist Church-Features of HIS
Remarks at the Church of the Re.
deemer Last Evening.
Rev. Samuel W. Dixie, LII D., of Au-
burndale, Mass, spoke yesterday at the
Calvary Baptist church on "The Christian
Family and Its Foes" After brief intro
duction he launched into the main part of |
his discourse enlarging FIRST upon the di-
yorce and marriage lawr, speaking of divorce
courts, marriage laws and the social evil.
The second point which he touched upon
was the inconsistent effect of Industrial
and similar conditions. Under this head
he spoke of the family and property, their
growth together, and the intecs,pendence of
individualizing tendency of property. In
the third place he spoke of the defects of
educational methods, explaining the COM
mon school methods, pointing out the lack
of study in colleges and institutions of
higher education, and the total neglect of
sex in education.
In the fourth place he spoke of the
neglect by the Christian church, how the
Sunday school ignores and avoids all
teaching tending toward social reform
There is no proportionate regard for the
no societies in the church which encourage
| social reform. There is no direct atten-
ton to the family itself.
In conclusion, he set forth the great
work that lies before the churches in this
| direction. He then explained the nature
| and workings of the National Divorce Re-
| form League of which he is the recording
secretary.
In the evening Mr.. Dixie spoke at the
| Church of the Redeemer on the work the
| National Divorce Reform league is doing
| ance and place of the family in the social
order. The league largely owes its origin
| to the earlier work Of President Woolsey
of Yale college, The family needs to be
properly formed. This means wise mar
riages, properly regulated by law. It
needs the protection of the church and
such economic social conditions as shall
secure it's most vigorous life. In 1887
there were %, 535 divorces granted in the
confession by the parties concerned,
by the state and by the church
that just so many families are be-
yond all remedial influences and that
the only thing to be done is
to put them out of existence in the divorce
courts. No one can tell, but probably
there are as many whose existence is little
more than a living death. Now the prob
lem is to bring to bear as much influence
of state religion and education as shall
reduce to the smallest number families in
such a condition as this. Much may be
done through Legislation. In the last ten
years the tide of legislation upon mar
riage and divorce has set in the right
direction. Rarely has a loose lew been
put on statute book. Anywhere within
that psriod while a score or more of i'm
proyements have been instituted in the
various states, eight states have al
ready created laws on uniform Legislation
and 1t is expected that many more will de-
so during the coming winter. This move
: ment for uniformity is strongly urged by
the American Bar association and the Ma
tional Board of Trade. But back of legis
lation lies the work of education regarding
the family. In all higher educational in
stitutions this work has been PRACTICAL,
begun for the first time within the last few
years, and to-day the majority of our in
struction and fetching of sociology ant
family are new in the work. There is
wonderful increase of the interest in tn
study of sociology and family in the col
8 also in the women's school wholesom
i interest in the subject is growing up. Tn
5 young men are preparing for this kim
of work. More work ought to be don
in the Christian church, which has bee
q negligent to making the family power
full agency for good. The awakenin
!, of the family to a comprehensive,
of it's possibilities by the home depart
!, ment of the Sunday scool was brough
T about through our league. There is grea
value in awakening sense of responsibility
= in the home.
We have been doing great deal of wor
for the home instead of teaching th
n principles of self-help. Fathers an
o mothers should feel that there al
o certain duties of religion and educatio
o which cannot be entrusted to the bet
IS church, the best school or the best Youn
Peoples Society of Christian Endeavol
9 One of the problems in country churche
It especially, and to some extent in cit
+ churches Isl proper ad justment between tt
work of the church done within the fou
N walls of the church and through its var
Gus societies, organizations, etc., and tt
i. work which ia done in the home. The goo
- citizen, the good scholar, and the goo
rs Christian ia often made by what the fan
II lily does for him in the home.
f. DR.. Dixie had an article in the Novembt
= number of the Atlantic Monthly on $500
~ ology and theHigherE ucation of Women
1t which has excited considerable discussion
The problems which he is striving to sol,
l. are yearly awakening more and more int
le est on both sides Of the Atlantic. D
20 Dixie is one of the most earnest worke,
y and brilliant writer's in the league.