Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1895-05-30
THE VANDERBILT DIVORCE.
An Example of the Most Pernicious Char
acter Imaginable.

An Example of the Most Pernicious Char
acter Imaginable.
The method by which the Vanderbilt
divorce was arranged is scandal to our
jurisprudence. Worse than that, it is
an influence for tho degradation Of
public morals and the breaking down Of
the popular sense of right and wrong.
Practically MIR. and Mrs. Vanderbilt
divorced themselves. There was no
hearing before court. Tho parties
did not appear before the tribunal.
There was no public proof of infidelity
on either side to servo as punishment
to tho guilty party or as q deterrent in
fuence in the case Of others. The whole
matter was arranged by dicker. Tho
only function Of tho court was to give
legal effect to tho terms Of tho bargain.
Is it, then, tho privilege Of tho rich
to annul their marriages at pleasure by
mutual agreement? The law, rigidly en-
forced against all ordinary citizens, pre-
soribes that collision between husband
and wife shall DO an effectual and per-
emptory bar to divorce. Yet this rich
man and woman have sent their law
yers into court with a collusive agree
ment already made; tho court has sup
pressed tho evidence agreed to be pre-
sented by sending tho case to referee
instead of hearing it in open session;
tho referee has made q report in accord
anco with tho terms Of the dicker; tho
court has affirmed it, ordering tho pa
pers scaled SO that there may DO no
scandal-which means simply that tho
guilty party shall be spared all social
shame and Inconvenience - and the.
terms Of tho collusive agreement have
been embodied in q decree which au.
thorizes ono party to marry again ct
pleasure and imposes upon the other o
prohibition Of marriage which is as in
effectual as bull against comet.
In saying this we do not mean to re-
fleet upon Justice Barrett. He is a judge
whose eminent learning and conspicu-
GUS service arc properly appreciated by
tho community. But in this matter he
is tho instrument of vicious system
which prevails, we believe, only in New
York and which certainly does not OBJ
tain in most of tho other states
Unless We accept tho unclean doctrine
Of FREQ love, marriage and divorce are
not in any sense private matters. Tho
family relation lies at tho very founda-
ton of society. Divorce equally with
marriage is matter Of public concern
and should be docreed only after q pub
lie hearing and public proof of statutory
cause
A case of this kind sets an example Of
tho most pernicious character magma
BILE. 1t means to the majority that there
is ono law for tho rich and another for
tho rest of us. 1t means that if you
have money enough your marriage vows
may count for nothing. 1t means that
your misconduct will be carefully guard
ed against exposure by all tho authority
tho courts possess. 1t means that while
collusive divorce proceedings arc per-
emptorily thrown out Of court in the
case Of ordinary persons multimil-
lionaire and his wife may arrange such
proceeding in full assurance that it
will DO ratified by the courts, and that
all the scandalous details will be secure
ly hidden beneath tho sacred seal Of the
tribunal. New York World.