The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-08
ODD PHASES
OF DIVORCE
Laws in All Countries for Und0ing the
Ties Of Marriage.
SOME TRULY QUEER CUSTOMS
Distinguished Romans Who Cast Of
Their Wives..SpOuses Of Caesar and
Anthony and How They We're
Got Rid OF.
From the New York World.

From the New York World.
The question Of divorce seems to be
agitating pretty nearly every civilized
country In the world just now. The
French statisticians have tackled the
subject and show the extent to which
divorce has grown in France. From
1884 to 1894 applications for divorces in
France have exceeded $4,000. of which
10000 have been granted.
NJ. Naquel. in urging the passage of
the divorce law in France, optimistic
ally predicted that 1t would prevent
many ruptules and that married couples
would remain more firmly united from
the fact that their tie would not be COM
pulsory. Unfortunately, exactly the
contrary was the result. The first year
after the law was passed showed LOO
divorces; last year there were over 5000.
When separations alone were permitted
they only reached 5000. While In 1882
the proportion was only one In 1000, to-
day 1t Is twenty five in 1000.
From the history of divorces 1t ap-
pears that the proportion of unhappy
marriages increases from the day d.
vorce Is legalized in a country. 1t ap-
pears among people of the highest civil.
ization at the period of their decadence;
from that time can be dated u retro
grade movement in morals. The Bible
says that If a man after marrying a
woman and living with her conceives a
disgust of her for some shameful fault
he shall draw out a decree of divorce.
and. putting 1t into the woman's hands.
shall send her out of his house This
was not always easily accomplished,
because the majority Of people did not
know how to write and the Levite or
priest whom they consulted could re-
fuse to grant their application ii he saw
fit.
IN ANCIENT EGYPT.
In Egypt the laws authorized no di-
vorce except In certain cases. Infdelity
was punished severely: the man re-
ceived 1000 stripes and the woman's
nose was cut. In Babylon a public auc
tion Of all the girls of a marriageable
age was held once year. The untying
of these knots was even more simple.
Confucius, writing on Chinese laws.
established seven causes of reputation,
among which 1t appears that the wife
could be put aside for excessive gossip
or for not getting along with her father
or mothern-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 resort to
the divorce courts very little and they
hold widow marrying a second time In
the utmost contempt. The custom is
somewhat similar to that of the Hin
docs In former years, when the widows
flung themselves on the burning wood
piles upon which their husbands's bod
les were being consumed.
India recognizes certain causes for d.
vorce. Up to the commencement of this
century a childless Hindoo was per-
mitted to lend his wife to a brother or
other male relative in order to have
children. In Burmah the women when
marrying do not take their husbands
names, but retain their own, with the
addendum Of wife of So and So" This
makes 1t convenient for them to assume
their previous status in public knOwl-
edge when they come to be divorced. as
they are very likely to be, for divorce Is
easy in that country.
THE BURMESE WAY.
If Burmese wife and husband quar-
rel and determine to separate, the wife,
who always does all the marketing,
goes out and buys two little candles Of
equal length, which are made especially
for this use. She brings them home.
She and her husband sit down on the
floor, place the candles between them
and light them simultaneously. One
candle stands for him, the other for
her. The one whose candle burns out
first rises and goes out Of the house for
ever, with nothing but what he or she
may have on. The other takes all the
property.
This looks fair enough on the face Of
1t. but it often happens that the wife on
her way home with the candles takes a
tiny scraDing from the button Of one
of them. A very little will be enough.
If the husband and the house are emp
ty of pretty much everything but chill
dren she takes the shortened candle
and walks out free and content But
If the house is we'll furnished and the
husbands possessions are considerable
he gets the short candle and does the
walking.
In Greece the main idea in marrying
I" ttS W VI lAS iHeo VIC WI
males especially--for the good Of the
country; hence the great facility Of
fered for breaking the marriage tie in
case of sterility. The legislators recog-
nized the right of divorce. At Athens
divorce could be obtained by demand
of one of the parties or by mutual con-
sent The case was argued before a
tribunal. The parties on being freed
with a person younger than them
were expressly forbidden to marry
selves. Grecian wives convicted of
breaking the seventh commandment
were put to death. after having their
hair cut off and their heads covered
with hot ashes.
ROMAN CUSTOMS.
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 revelling in their riches.
and cut themselves adrift from the
austere 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 sup
press marriage. Nearly every cause
was admitted-infidelity. sickness. old