The herald., 1898-01-02
OUR VITAL
STATISTICS

1t sounds rather harshly on the ear to
assert that Angelenos are not doing as
much for themselves individually as they
are for the country in which they live.
In other words, while the resources of the
country are being exploited, the popula-
tion increasing and a very general pros
perity difused, the matrimonial barome-
ter shows q strange perverseness and
displays tendency to drop instead of
rising.
In 1880 the population of Los Angeles
county was 3S,3S1. and in the next decade
! mad increased to 101, ,454. In 1900 Los An
geles city had population Of Sc, 1885, and
with the lapse of seven years 1t has now
population 1000 In excess of the entire
county at that time. During this time
OF expansion the ratio of marriages, in
relation to Increase of population. has
not peen apparently preserved. Without
delvlng too far into the past, the record
Tor the first five years is given: In 1893
there were 1901 marriage licenses issued;
IN 1894, 1851; In 1895, 1471; in 1896. 1855, and
In 1897, 1920. According to the school CEN
sus, and accepting it as basis for cal
culation, the population has not only
Increased largely each year, but during
the year 1S96-97 increased by about II, 900
people. And yet an actual decline is
shown in the number of licenses issued.
, In dealing with these statistics. how
ever one factor has to be considered
that shows upon no record. The southern
counties are people with cosmopolitan
population, and young men not uncom-
monty go back to their old homes to
marry and fulfill the pledges made before
coming to Gods country"
THE DIVORCE MILL
Unfortunately, the divorce evil is COM
mon to California as to all other states of
the union. Under the general divorce
law It is impossible that in all cases JUS
: tice can be administered, for, upon GER
tain proof being made, an applicant Is
entitled to decree. Ordinarily, a di-
! vorce suit is instituted by the wife, and
ordinarily, also, the husband makes de-
fault. The general run of women are
neither angels nor devils, but a fair ad-
mixture of both, and the same may be
said of average men. 1t Is somewhat
suspicious circumstance that in the large
proportion Of cases the wife should fig
ure as the plaintiff, and this suspicion
becomes more acute when the husband
defaults and puts in no appearance.
While statistics cannot be cited in sub
stantiation, 1t Is matter of common no.
toriety, both in and out of court, that the
large proportion of divorces is procured
by collusion between husband and wife.
Whatever may be the grievance, and
whether 1t be on the side of husband or
; wife, the husband Is usually willing to
let the wife obtain the divorce unop-
posed, If she will make no scandalous
charges and make no claim for alimony.
When there are children. the question of
their support, In such cases, Is also set
tied before the case comes to trial. Un-
der these circumstances about 80 per
!. cent of the divorce cases are brought
into court on the grounds Of "desertion"
or failure to provide.
The following tabulated statement Of
the divorce suits instituted in Los An
geles county in 1897. and how they have
been disposed of, is instructive:
Divorces granted. ..........................26 .264
Denied or dismissed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 20
sun penang '........'"'''...,....... ....'.,..~lSS
. Transferred to another county...........
Suits to annul marriage. 4
OF the 1873 suits still pending q small
proportion were recently brought and
have been set for trial in the early part
of this new year. Over 100 of these
pending cases have, however, been all
lowed to lsCse for reasons only known to
the fair plaintiffs who brought them and
repented doing SO at the eleventh hour. |
While suits for the annulment of mar
riage do not necessarily fall under the |
title Of divorces, they do belong to the
same classification. The obtuseness of
some people is we'll illustrated in one of
the cases brought to annul the marriage. |
The plaintiff in her complaint alleges
that at the time of her marriage pre-
vious husband was living from whom
she had not been divorced, and the hus-
band from whom she desires separation /
was cognizant of the fact. In this case
the woman, while not actually stating
that she herself knew her first husband
was alive, let 1t be inferred by the word
ing Of her complaint that she with cool
nonchalance committed bigamy.
The representations made by the Ma
tional Bar association with view that
congressional action may be taken and
divorce laws made that will be accepted
in every state of the Union, will, It is to
be hoped, be crowned with success. Di-
vorce then will not be quite so easy, and
probably the hasty marriages that al
most inevitably have their elimination
in the divorce court will fall into abey-
ance. All cases will then be heard in
open court and the doors Of the halls of
justice will never under any circum-
stances be "closed." In this regard it
Is worthy of remark that Judge Van
Dyke, of all the superior judges, Is most
rigidly opposed to hearing a case be-
hind closed doors. Repeatedly he has
refused the application of counsel that
a case be heard in camera" There is a
class of cases wherein either plaintiff or
defendant. or perhaps both, indulge in
the vilest insinuations and apparently
take delight in besmirching the char
acter of the one that ought, according to
all the canons Of good taste, not to say
right living, to be safe from attack from
such quarter.
The action Of the last legislature In
making 1t obligatory for divorced per-
son to live in single bessedness for IL I
months from the date Of the granting of
the decree before resuming marital
bonds, has been challenged by lawyers
but has not been passed upon by the
courts The theory is this: If person
IL granted divorce the matter is end
ed right then, 1t is urged, and the man or
woman has the right to remarry or re-
main single. and no legislative body can
iegislate away this constitutional right.