The record-union., 1893-06-17

JUNE IT, 1898. -EIGHr
the world Of thought which would not
uescT be Itself as religious the drift to-
ward the spiritual Interpretation OF ma
turc IS very marked. The old-fashioned
materialiSm is dead. The religious out
look into the natural world is in marked
contrast with what was not along ago
known as the scientific view The seat
OF the scorner is to let. Both the theologi-
cal inquisitor and his natural anti-type,
the scientific seoher, are together drifting
out Of sight. A happy riddance!"
The necessity for the reform of the
marriage and divorce laws of the country
is cIear," remarks the New York O6-
Ser0er- (Pres.), ''as it is that the reform
should proceed on the line of greater uni
tormity in the statutes, and such rein
1orcement of them as shall tend to check
the growing evil. Unfortunately it is
difficult under our Federal system to Sc
cure uniformity, the weight of opinion
being that the matter is not within the
jurisdiction of Congress, while under the
constitution the States are prohibited
rom entering into agreement with each
other. 1t is urged that as the powers del
egated to the Federal Government relate
10 matters which are OF equal concern to
all the States and Territories, and require
uniform laws to prevent confusion, so
marriages and divorces are subjects of
ike general bearing and requiring uni
form statutes, and may be placed under
national authority. Unlike other con-
tracts. that Of marriage recognizes no
limitations Of time save the death Of one
or the other party to it, and is not affected
by change OF circumstances or residence,
so that Federal authority is not only re-
quired, but may be lawfully exercised
TO secure its observance wherever the
parties may be. Alp good citizens will
nope that this view of the powers and
duty of Congress may hold good, but SO
Far as now appears there is no way OF Sc
curing the desired uniformity OF legisla-
ton save by such pressure upon the sep
arate States as Will induce them to agree
TO statute expressing the general sense
OF the whole people. The Divorce Re
form League which aims to accomplish
reform by this method, has already Sc
cured the appointment of commissions
by eight OF the States TO consider the sub
lect, and as they are strong States and
represent all sections of the country east
OF the Mississippi, it is not improbable
that ii they concur i'll a uniform statute,
the remaining States may be induced to
adopt it,"
The following is from the Congregation
aust OF Boston: Giving has undoubt-
edly been stimulated by the practice of
some rich men offering generous sums to
colleges, theological seminaries and mis-
sIonary societies on condition that con-
slderably larger sums shall be raised by
a specified date. But it is a serious
question whether the practice has not
reached the limit of wisdom, at least for
the present. The constituency 10 which
appeals can be made to furnish the mon
ey to secure these gifts is not so large but
that the same persons are besOught al
most simultaneously by representatives
OF several institutions to help them out.
Too frequent presentation Of special cases
not only rouses repugnance to these
methods Of getting money, but dries up
the reg ular channels Of benevolence. The
managers of these institutions are made
desperate by the danger OF losing their
opportunity to get large sum, and are
tempted to resort to measures which
bring criticism on themselves and fail
besides. The offer by institutions to di-
vide with agents the amounts raised tends
10 demOraliZe glverS, collectors and re-
ceiyers. Just now large gifts without
the condition Of their being doubled or
trebled in SIX months or year are quite
as likely TO stimulate generosity"
OF the Women's Congress at Chicago
nc - tuHCC tCOHS.J OI UUaC city says:
Plainly new era in the worlds adj
vancement has begun. That divine word
at the beginning OF human history-'It is
not good for man to be alone has waited
long for its fuller explanation. The
changes that have taken place within the
last nifty years have amounted to one of
the greatest and most consequential of all
revolutions. What we are witnessing is
an act of God greater than any of Us has
the vision to measure. The kingdom of
heaven, said Christ, is as leaven which a
woman took and hid in three measures
of meal. During all these centuries the
sacred leaYen has been working: but ap-
parenty how slowly. At last the light
ming flash begins to shine broadly from
ono side OF the horizon even to the other.
The international idea is broad. and new
ideas and divine impulses are now caused
TO lily swiftly everywhither. The cruel
letters of age-lOng prejudice begin to
break and vanish. The true emancipa-
ton OF WOmaahOOd is at hand. Column
bus discovered a new world, and we
think we cannot celebrate the event too
much. That newly-found realm was so
interesting because of the new resources,
the new opportunities, the new possibili-
ties which it presented. Another and a
greater world yet is at length being dis
covered. 1t is woman's seIf-discoYery.
Gradually the more enlightened and
open-yisiOnod women of the world here
and there in all lands, wherever the
Christian Gospel is making its way, are
discovering new continents of resource,
of opportunity, of duty and of hope"