Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-01
LEGAL SEPARATION.
Hints to American Girls Marry
ing Foreigners.
SHORT HISTORY OF DIVORCE LAW
How They Did It In Babylon and other
Countries-What the Bible
Says.

pears that the proportion of unhappy
marriages increases from the day d.
vorce is legalized i'll country. IL ap.
pears among people of the highest civil
lization at the period of their deoa-
dence: from that time can be dated u
retrograde movement in morals.
The Bible says that if a man after
marrying woman and living with
her conceives disgust of her, for some
shameful fault, he shall draw out a
decree of divorce. and. putting it into
the woman's hands. shall send her out
OF his house. This was not always
easily accomplished, because the ma
jority of people did not know how to
write, and the Levite or priest whom
they consulted could refuse to grant
their application il he saw fit.
In Egypt the laws authorized no di-
vorce excep. in certain cases. Infidel-
ity was punished severely; the man re-
ceived 1000 stripes and the woman y
nose was cut In Babylon public
auction of all the girls of marriage
able age was held once year. The
untying of these knots was even more
simple.
Confucius. writing on Chinese laws.
established seven cases OF reputation,
among which it appears that the wife
could be put aside for excessive gossip
or for not getting along with her father
or mother-in.law. But there Was this
proviso: 1.-THE husband is advised to
retain her if she will wear mourning
for her mother-in law for three years.
'As matter Of fact, the Chinese re-
sort to the divorce courts very little,
and they hold widow marrying the
second time in the utmost contempt.
India recognizes certain causes for
divorce. Up to the commencement of
this century childless Hindoo was per-
mitted to lend his wife to brother or
other male relative in order to have
children. In Burmah the women when
marrying do not take their husband s
names, but retain their own, with the
addendum of wife of So-and So"
This makes it convenient for them to
assume their previous status in public
knowledge when they come to be di-
vorced, as they are very likely to be,
for divorce is easy in that country.
In Greece the main idea in marrying
was to bring children into the world,
males especially, for the good of the
country; hence the great facility offered
for breaking the marriage tie in case
of sterillty. The legislators recognized
the right of divorce. At Athens di-
vorce could be obtained by demand of
one of the parties or by mutual consent.
The case was argued before tribunal.
The parties OH being freed were ex-
pressly forbidden to marry with per-
sou younger than themselves. Grecian
wives convicted of breaking the
seventh commandment were put to
death, after having their hair cut off
aud their heads covered with hot ashes.
This barbarous custom was also
adopted in Rome after the conquest OF
Carthage and Corinth. The Romans.
being masters Of the world. only
thought of reveling in their riches, aud
cut themselves adrift from the aus
tere rules of virtue, which had been
theirs for centuries. Civil marriages
and religious marriages were little by
little cut into by divorce, which spread
to such an extent as to almost suppress
marriage. Nearly every cause was
admitted-infidelity, sickness. old age,
drunkenness, poison (Which was very
prevalent), going into the church. the
army, and, lastly, mutual consent
The husband had the right to demand
a divorce if the wife obtained false
keys to the cellar, or if she went
'gadding" to the theatre or circus to
the neglect of her household duties.
All these reasons were but pretexts,
after all. The virtuous Cato obtained
Il divorce in order to marry Marcia.
Scilla remarked with woman whom
he met at the circus, Cicero repudi.
ated his wife to take Publilia, whose
riches would enable him to pay off all
his creditors; Caesar and Antony con-
tracted four successive marriages
Pompey went as far as five. Juvenal
felt justified in saying that faithful
spouses were as rare as white crows,
or, as we say today, as white black
birds"
The law of Mahomet admits Of di
vorce-though it is very little resortet
to by the Mahometans-but exacts foul
months reflection ON the part of thu
husband before sending the letter o
reputation. which in this case is called
tetolk boin-a temporary repudiatiol
is called tetoik rid jee, which is uset
as forewarning.
The nation which grants fewest di
vorces is England. A special court
the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial
Cases-copes with all matrimonial
difficulties. Divorce can be obtaine'
for Criminal conversation, and i
J denied for personal injuries and neg
lect. A rupture of the marriage tie |