Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-26

presence of Witnesses annuls marriage.
They haye one rule, however, and that
an excellent one. The husband who
divorces his wife must return to her
any property he may have acquired
from Der through the marriage.
Among the Tartars divorces arc as
common as horses. Both husband and
wife have equal rights in the matter
and can secure divorce for any dis
satisfaction, although 1t must be sane
toned by magistrate.
After all, it is the stolid celestial
who has fixed things best for himself
in the matter of divorces, for he can
obtain an absolute dissolution of the
marriage VOWS il his wife talks too
I much. All, il only such d blessed,
blessed state of affairs existed in this
country, what a glorious, lnrid cele-
bration Of joy some long suffering men
would indulge in.
There are two kinds of divorces
granted in Circassia--a total and a
provisional. When the first has been
secured either party can Immediately
marry again, while il the divorce is
live apart for year, and il, at the ex-
piration of that period. the husband
does not send for his wife a total d.
vorce is granted.
The marriage ties that bind Hindoo
husband to his wife are so very fragile
that almost anything can sever them,
and both parties ara at once free to
remarry whenever they please. Thus,
if husband should chance to call his
wife mother" it is considered ex-
tremely bad form for him to live with
her again. With one, tribe, however,
things are different. for even if the
wife be unfaithful, husband cannot
obtain divorce unless he gives her all
the property and all the children.
A wife, Oh the contrary, may divorce
her husband whenever she feels SO dis
posed, take his property with her,
marry again and turn her ex-nnsband's
estate over to the new one. There are
few male emigrants to the hahitations
of this tribe, for the men have hard
time Of it-as hard time, if one is to
believe their statements, as they have
in some parts of this country.
Among the ancient Greeks a settle
ment was usually made upon the wife
at the time of her marriage, in order
to insure her support in case of separa.
tion. Divorces were obtained for the
most trifing reasons; even the fear oil
raising too large family was con-
5idered sufficient ground. In modern
Greece, on the contrary, divorces are
practically unknown.
10 ancient Rome the husband had
the privilege of divorcing his wife fol
the slightest cause; and yet, in spite
OF this fact, 52l years elapsed without
single divorce having occurred in
Rome. Americans, take note!
But to return TO the subject of di.
rorce in our own country. Statistics
of the divorces occurring during Q
period of III years show that Illinois
is by all odds the "banner'' divorce
State of the Union, topping the list
with 36,072 divorces. Next on the
list comes Ohio. with 26. 1867. Mex
comes Indiana, with %, 1873; theI
Michigan, with IS, 1873; Iowa, l6, 56l
Pennsylvania 16, 02G and seventh, OF
the list, New York, with 10, 355 di
vorces. From this the figures tapel
down very rapidly, and Wyoming haC
only 40 divorces during the periot
mentioned. In the entire United
| States there were 1928, CAT.
Although New York is not the fore
most divorce State, yet it has don,
well SO far as encouraging divorces il
concerned and really deserves higl
place on the list, for statistics show
that, while only Is. 355 divorces tool
place in the State during the period O
10 years, %, 354 marriages that ha,
taken place in New York resulted il
divorce. In other words, 9,205 Ney
York couples have gone to spme othe
| State to obtain their divorce or els
have moved away from the State afte
their MARI age.
There is one other question in rela
tion to the subject that 10 OF NOR
than passing interest. What become
of the divorced women? Do they dro
out of sight and lead the lives of oil
maids ever after? Do many of them q
to the "dogs?" Does large percentag
remarry?
A statiHtician has looked up th
records, delved into personal historic
and traced stories innumerable in orde
to formulate some sort of correct ide
and at least approximately accurat
data.
1t would seem that rs per cent
the women remarry within year.
per cent are waiting for an offer,
per cent have fallen into evil ways an
gone to the proverbal dogs. while onl
per cent have embraced celibacy.
And the men? Oh, they are full
qualified to take care of themselves!
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