The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-06-06

ard against the action of mere
price by securing long period O.
delay for reconsideration. In Switzer
land under slightly different forms the
same system prevails, and the widest
discretion is given to the tribunals
A power of ganting divorce for reasons
not assigned in the law has in many
parts of Germany been vested in
princes, and owing to the laxity partly
Of the laws and partly of the admins.
tration of them, divorces have in
some parts of Europe greatly increased
In number. In Switzerland, for in.
stance, in 1892 there were 881 divorces
in a population of less than 100000.
Some portions of Germany rank next
in this respect. In Germany as a
whole, divorces have been during the
last ten years somewhat more frequent
than in France, although in the latter
country the rate of increase is higher.
In Belgium in 1892 there were AL
divorces in population of 6, los 900; in
the Netherlands, 354 in a population
of 1850, ,576; in Sweden 3l6, in popu-
lation of 4,806, 1895. IL is we'll known,
however, that nowhere are divorces
more frequent and more easy to obtain
than in some of the United States.
Mr.. Lecky recalls the fact that from
1887 to 1885 divorces increased in
this country nearly 157 per cent,
while population only increased about
go per cent. Also, that the census of
1890 returned 40, 101 men and 1885
divoced persons who had remarked.
It has been asserted that the domes-
tic morality of countries in which
divorce is denied is superior to that of
countries in which it is permitted.
Mr.. Lecky does not think that the
statement is borne out by a comparison
from this point in view of Italy, Spain
and Portugal with the three Scandi-
with Switzerland; or of France, as it
was before 1884, with Belgium and
Holland; or of Vienna with Berlin; or
of the Catholic with the Protestant
populations Of the Austrian empire.
Nevertheless he does not assent to the
conclusions of an American writer on
the subject that the marriage tie is not
likely to be often violated if it may be
easily abrogated; and that a system
under which marriages may be very
easily contracted and very easily d.
solved, though perhaps not good in it's
self, is the best means of remedying
other an better evils. Such reasonings
ara pFouuueced very quesJ'UnaDIe and
not little dangerous. Mr.. Lecky
also notes the curious circumstances
that divorce which was long regarded
as the special privilege of the man, and
as specially injurious to the woman,
is most frequently demanded by the
latter in the United States, the country
to wit in which the position of women
is probably the highest. Thus in the
twenty years between 1866 and 1885 no
fewer than 46, 731 American wives and
but 8, 122 American husbands are said
to have obtained divorce on charges /!
less grave than adultery. A. similar
phenomen Is, it seems, found in
Switzerland, and is likewise observ-
able in France. Mr.. Lecky would ex-
plain it on the ground that laws which
grant divorce for violence or cruelty
or habitual intoxication are special
protection to the sex which Ia the
weaker and more sober.
AS regards the difference established
by English law between adultery in the
man and adultery in the woman, Mr..
Lecky notes that this, although strenu-
ously defended by English, French
and Italian lawyers on the ground of
the more serious effects of female
adultery on the constitution and
the property of the family is not
widely adopted. 1t does not exist
in Scotland; it is not recognized by
the canon law, and is not in accordance
with the general tenor of modern
which is to make man and
women absolutely equal before the law.