The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-03-22

with its millions of sheets every weel
choked with stories of domestic wrong,
and infidelities and massacres and out
RACES until it is wonder to me tina
there are any decencies or any common
sense left on the subject of marriage
One-half of the newsstands of all oul
cities reeking with the filth.
Now" say some, I'VE admit all
these evils, and the only way to clear
them out or correct them is by easy di
vorce" Well, before we yield to that
cry let us find out how easy it is now.
Wholesale Divorce
have looked over the laws of all the
states, and l find that, while in some
states it is easier than in others, in ev.
cry state it is easy. The state of I'LL.
nois, through it's legislature, recites a
long list of proper causes for divorce
and then closes up by giving to the
courts the right to make decree of di-
vorce in any case where they deem it
expedient. After that You are not sur
prised at the announcement that in one
county of the state of Illinois, in one
year, there were 1913 divorces. If you
want to know how easy it is, you have
only to look over the records of the
states. In the city of San Francisco 1913
divorces in one year, and in 90 years in
New England 10000. Is that not easy
enough? i....
If the same ratio continue-the ratio
of multiplied divorce and multiplied
causes of divorce-we are not far
from the time when our courts will
have to set apart whole days for appli.
cation, and all you will have to prove
against a man will be that he left his
newspaper in the middle of the floor,
and all you will have to prove against
a woman will be that her husbands
overcoat is buttonless Causes of di-
vorce double in a few years-doubled
in France, doubled in England and
doubled in the United States To show
how very easy it is I have to tell you
that in western reserve, Ohio, the pro-
portion of divorces to marriages cele-
brated is to II, in Rhode Island is to
IS, in Vermont to IA. Is not that easy
enough? t..s ..s ....,....,t
want you to notice that frequency of
divorce always goes along with the dis
soluteness of society. Rome for 500 years
had not one case of divorce. Those were
her days of glory and virtue. Then the
reign of vice began, and divorce became
epidemic. If you want to know how
rapidly the empire went down, ask Glib
bon. .s.f,. ..,llr,.....,. a,sa y...
What we want In this country and in
all lands is that divorce be made more
and more and more difficult, Then peo-
Pile before they enter that relation will
be persuaded that there will probably
be no escape from it except through the
1oor Of the sepulcher. Then they will
pause on the verge of that relation un-
Ill they are fully satisfied that it is best,
and that it is right, and that 1t is hap
pest. Then we shall have no more mar
.iage in fun. Then men and women
will not enter the relation with the idea
t is only trial trip. and if they do not
ike it they can get out at the first
anding. Then this whole question will |
% taken out Of the frivolous into the |
and there will be no more |
oking about the blossoms in BRIDES |
lair than about the cypress on coffin. |
Uniform Laws In All States.
What we want is that the congress Of |
he United States change the national
constitution SO that law can be passed |
which shall be uniform all over the
ountry, and what shall be right in one !
tate shall be right in all the states,
nd what is wrong in one state will be
wrong in all the states.
How is it now? If party in the mar
iage relation gets dissatisfied, it is only
ecessary to move to another state to
ohieve liberation from the domestic
lie, and divorce is effected so easy that
he first one party knows of it is by see
NJ in the newspaper that Rev. DR..
omebody on March II, 1895, introduce
d in a new marriage relation men,
er the household who went off on
leasure excursion to Newport or bust
ess excursion to Chicago. Married at
ne brides house. No cards There are
5ates of the Union which practically
ut premium upon the disintegration
the marriage relation, while there
re other states, like our own New
ork state, that had for long time the
recruitment idiocy of making marriage
Iwful at IL and Ia years of age. ..
The congress of the United States
eeds to move for change of the ma
onal constitution and to appoint a
made up of single gen.
emen, but of men of families, and
leir families in Washington - who {
lall prepare good, honest, righteous,
uniform law that will
'ntrol everything from Sandy Hook to ,
10 Golden Horn That will put an end
broken ties in marriages. That will {
nd divorce lawyers into decent bust !
9ss. That will set people agitated for
any years on the question of how shall I
ey get away from each other to plan ,
ng how they can adjust themselves to '
% more or less unfavorable circum- G
ances. q
Marriage q Speculation. G
More difficult divorce will put an es- \
ppel to a great extent upon marriage v
a financial speculation. There are b
en- who go into the relation just as g
ey go into Wall street to purchase /
ares The female 70 he invited into ! n