The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-03-18
AN SPEECH.
OUR DIVORCE LAWS.

wi OlNOhCE LA
A remarkable scene occurred in a
st. Paul court room the other day.
A man and his wife-a newly mar
ried couple,-had quarreled over some
trivial differences of opinion, and
sought divorce, each demanding the
possession Of their little child. 1t
came up before Judge Willis. He de-
parted from the worship of prece-
dents and did something that had
great deal Of human heart and human
nature in it. He adjourned the case
one week, and told the belligerent
couple to retire to neighboring jury
room and patch up their quarrel. He
said
1.-THE court advises the parties to
this proceeding to at once become
reconciled to each other and resume
their rela tionS as husband and wife.
and net further annoy society or the
court with unseemly litigation about
their offspring. 1t is scandalous to
bring such cases into court; it IS scan
dalOuS that occasion arises for such
cases as this. Nature protests against
it; mortality protests against it. The
law hears such cases unwillingly.
I'm view OF the great obligations
which the marriage tie imposes it is
shocking that questions Of taste or
questions of like or dislike, cor petty
Quarrels, or differences of opinion,
should separate husband and wife, land
bring them into the theater of con-
troversy to present to the public and
the courts quarrel about the posses
sion of child who. 10 the course of
nature, has come from the Almighty
as their possession. Both parties are
responsible for the child; both parties
are entitled to take an interest in the
child. The child as a human being is
entitled to look to both parties for
support and education and care: and
the child as human being is entitled
to insist-though it NAV be mute and
unable to vocally establish it's claim
it has a right. in nature, to insist that
there shall be harmony between its
father and its mother. | hope that
this whole matter can be settled upon
just and equitable basis, and settled
as it ought to be. In the right way.
"DiffcrenceS OF opinion. slight quar-
rels and all these considerations to
which l have adverted, should give
way to the i'm posing claim, to those
ties which nature and the law recog
niZes, and which in the case OF
Christian marriage are sanctioned by
the law Of the Almighty.
Now you may all go, and every wit
ness is expected to he here on Satur
day morning without further notice,
when the matter will be heard.
Everything connected with the case
will remain in statu quo. There will
be no change in the former orders re-
garding the child"
This is sensible. Among the A rabs
when q divorce is sought, the chief
Shieck compels the two parties to
come and live in his tent, so that he
may see which is really to blame. The
result is that the man and woman
are put on their good behavior, and
grow so sweet and amiable with each
other that before the period of proba-
ton is half over they are really in love
with one another again, and do not
want a divorce.
Our divorce laws are altoge ther too
lax. Many family is broken up be-
cause OF the fatal facility of getting
clear Of each other. Before the honey
moon is fairly over they are squirting
out of the corner of the eye at some
more attractive creature Of the op-
posite sex. The basis OF society is the
family There can be no republic
without permanent homes, for the
raising OF noble men and women,
filled with the instincts of true
citizenship. When mankind gets to
be like the lower animals, running
around constantly after their baser
instincts, infamcd by an endless love
Of novelty and desire for change, the
race Is on the down grade to ruin.
You can expect nothing great or
permanent out OF such jumping-jacks.
They are only fit to vote the old-party
! tickets.