Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-03-18

and infidelities and massacres and out
RACES, until it is wonder to me that
there are any decencies or any common
sense left on the subject of marriage.
| One half of the newsstands of all our
cities reeking with the filth.
CHOW" say some, 1--WE 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 I find that, while in some
i states it is easier than in others, in ev-
| ery state it is easy. The state of Hill
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
Iexpedient. After that you are not sur.
prised at the announcement that in ono
county of the state of Illinois, III ono
year, there were 833 divorces. # 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 1873
divorces in one year, and in 90 years in
New England 10000. Is that not easy
enough?
# the same ratio continue-the ratio
of multiplied divorce and multiplied
causes of divorce-we arc 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 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 1 to II, in Rhode Island is l to
Is, in Vermont to Il. Is not that easy
enough?
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.
What we want in this country and in
all lands is that divorce be made more
and more and more difficult. Then peo-
pIe before they enter that relation will
be persuaded that there will probably
be no escape from it except through the
door of tho sepulcher. Then they will
pause on the verge of that relation I'M
til they are fully satisfied that it is best,
and that it is right, and that it is hap
'piest. Then we shall have no more mar
riage in fun. Then men and women
will not enter the relation.wit the idea
it is only a trial trip and if they do not
like it they can get out at the first
landing. Then this whole question will
be taken out Of the frivolous into the
tremendous, and there will be no more
joking about the blossoms III brides
hair than about the cypress on coffin.
Uniform Laws In All States.
What we want is that the congress of
the United States change the national
constitution so that law can be passed
(which shall be uniform all over the
country, and what shall be right in one
state shall he right in all the states,
and what is wrong in one state will be
wrong in all the states
How is it row? If party in the mar
Iriage relation gets dissatisfied, it is only
necessary to move to another state to
achieve liberation from the domestic
tie, and divorce is effected so easy that
the first one party knows of it is by see
ing in the newspaper that Rev. DR..
Somebody on March II, 1895, introduce
ed in a new marriage relation a mem
Der of the household who went off on
pleasure excursion to Newport or a bust
ness excursion to Chicago. Married'at
the brides house. No cards. There are
states of the Union which practically
put a premium upon the disintegratiOn
of the marriage relation, while there
are other states, like our own New
York state, that had for long time the
pre-eminent idiocy Of making marriage
lawful at 70 and 4 years of age.
The congress Of the United States
needs to move for a change of the ma
'tional constitution and to appoint a
made up ef single gen
tlemen, but of men of families, and
their families in Washington - who
snail prepare SOOd, nOneSG, righteous,
comprehensive, uniform law that will
control everything from Sandy Hook to
the Golden Horn. That will put an end
ito broken ties in marriages. That will
send divorce lawyers into decent bust
ness. That will set people agitated for
many years on the question of how shall
they get away from each other to plan
ming how they can adjust themselves to
the more or less unfavorable cream
stances.
Marriage Speculation.
More difficult divorce will put an es-
TOPPED to great extent upon marriage
as q financial SnecnlatiOn. There are