Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-03-21

u
of Delawares divorce laws, spGats for |
itself. To it is appended tho inrger part |
e. OF an address made by DR.. Cort 1T Ian, |
caster, Pr, in 1893, on Marriage and |
Divorce"
Editor The Gpsette: The following
sbstract OF my paper on Marriage ami |
Divorce" read Two and hall years
ago, seems to be applieableto the present |
status of affairs in the Diamond State. |
Every good citizen must regard with |
deep concern tho inua Of divorce appll- |
cations now pending before the Della.
ware Legislature Two years ago up
wards of go divorces were granted by
the Legislature.
Tue number during the present ses
sion bids fair 10 run up To 100, an alarm
ing number for SO small u common
wealth, whore tho courts also grant
divorces. Much valuable time Of the
General Assembly is taken up with the
consideration of bills for divorce and
both houses hnyeat times been with0nta
quorum to transact business because
members were listening 10 sensational
and prurlent details Of marital lhlilellty
on the part of applicants for divorce.
1t is TO be hoped that the coming Con-
stitutional Convention will greatly
huliuHt tlt BlhlAAAH wa WlllNH NAguih "
divorce Is granted in our state. Tag
experience Of New York and other
States clearly proves that divorces IN
crease.ln proportion US laws arc loose
and unseriptuml.
Contemplate cucknlds have appeared
before thedivorce committee with reeog-
nized boon companions who sWore that
they Were gully Of immoral conduct
with tho wife Of their friend who sought
for that reason 10 be divorced, although
he knew the woman was an immoral
character when he married her
The entire party ought to be sent to
the penitentiary instead of occupying
the time of the Assembly. One woman
whose case seemed very meritorious and
was backed up by the evidence of re-
spectacle citizens, got married again Us
soon as the committee showed q Willing
ness TO report in her favor and before
the Assembly had time to consider her
case.
All this indicates need of judicial in
vestigatlon and thorough consideration
such US no legislative committee can
give SO many applicants in connection
with their manifold duties in other re-
speeta.
Many matrimonial troubles would be
adjusted in the spirit Of Cancellation and
many unhappy marriages would be pre-.
vented if our laws and Legislature
practice in divorce matters accorded
more fully with tho Word Of God
Every Christian patriot should labor II
promote better sentiment on tho mar
rage question and have the same EN-
bodied in the organic law of the com
mnnweulth. The family is the fuunda
ti,,n # Vthiu upPth npnGpVUintT Ia
our civilization and the welfare of on
country depends upon well-regulatec
Christian homes. Z. q.
DOVER, DEL, March 0, 1896.
DIR. coRT's ADDRESS.
The following is an abstract Of
paper ON the subject Of Marriage AM
Divorce read by Rev. Cyrus Cort, u
D., before the spiritual conference o
reformed ministers at Lancaster, Pa, il
August, 1892;
Marriage is a divine institution. !
had its origin before the fall of man
kind, 1t is one Of the lew remains Of
lost Paradise. II was intended to pre-
mote the happiness, the safety and yer
existence of the human race. III
family is the unit Of society, the typ
of both church and State; and marriage
or the lifeuhion of one man with on
woman, IL the basis Of tho family
"Nlale and female created lie them.
One male and one female, united
marriage, is the fountain head
humanity, Polygamy, or anything ell
that dlsturbs or destroys the diylI
original OF marriage, as that was 0
dained and established in the Garden
Eden before the fall, is perversion
the right ways OF God and must brir
harm and misery TO human societ
Not only by the creation of Il single pa
OF human, beings, but by tho laws
propagatltfn, implanted in the hum,
constitution, as exempliiied in the hi
tory of the race, did the Almighty Q
dain mouogamy TO be the normal ord
OF the sexes.
Birth statistics show that about equ
numbers of Gloh sex are born fro
generation to generation. There are
the whole United States about IL milli
and a-half more males than fcmal
Polygamy has been advocated and p;
tially justified at times when lar
proportion OF the males had been slu
In battle. But war itself IS wrong.
Polygamy brought discurd, contt
ton, jealousy and strife into the hou
holds even of the most. prudent u
pious OF the Old Testament patrinrc
and every nation that has sanction
pplygamy has degeneraled physical
morally and politically.
When the Phariseds came unto Je:
tempting Him and saying unto Iii
"Is 1t lawful for u man to put away
wife for every cause2" Il9 answer
and said unto them, "have ye not re
that He which made them ut the bGg
ming made them male and female; Il
said for this cause shall u man let
fatherand mother and snail cleuyG 10
wife and the twain shall be one llG
Wherefore they are no more twain,
one flesh. What therefore God h
Joined tOgctherlet not man put asnndt
Christ also stated that 1t was bere
OF the hardness of their hearts that Nj
suffered (not commanded) them to
away their wives; but that from tho
ginning it was not SO. The orig
idea of marriage had been peryri
"Whosoeyer shall put away his
except it be for fornicatiuu, aud 81
marry another, committeth adultery
These passages give us the ella
New Testament authority on the
1ect of marriage and divorce, rhey 50
W the ground completely, The llol
Catholic church is wrong in disreg
ing the exception, The omission oi
exception places the innocent hush
or wife at the lnercy of wicked
immoral companion. This would
grade society. That one great q
confounds the mystery of human
DESTROYS the Identity Of the family
.. Wolves neriury and DrQtaneS the tel