The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-09-18

Marrying to Reform Men.
Rigorous divorce law will also hinder
women from the fatal mistake of marry
ing men to reform them. II young
man, by % years Of age or 30 years of
age, have the habit of strong drink fixed
on him, he is as certainly bound for
drunkurd's grave as that train start.
ing out from the Grand Central depot at
8 o'clock tomorrow morning is bound for
Albany. The train may not reach Al.
bany, for 1t may be thrown from the
track. The young man may not reach
drunkard's grave, for something may
throw him off the iron track of evil
habit But the probability Is TINT the
train that starts tomorrow morning at
s o'clock for Albany will get there, and
the probability is that the young man
who has the habit of strong drink fixed
on him before % or 80 years of age will
arrive at drunkard's grave. She knows
he drinks, although he tries to hide it by
chewing cloves. Everybody knows he
drinks. Parents warn; neighbors and
friends warn. She will marry him; she
will reform him. II she Is unsuccessful
In the experiment, why, then, the divorce
law will elnancipate her, because habit.
aul drunkenness is q cause for divorce
In Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Connect
icut and nearly all the states. So the
poor thing goes to the altar OF sacrifice.
If you will show me the poverty struck
streets in any city, will show you the
homes of the women who married men
to reform them. In one case out OF ten
thousand it may be n successful expert
mcnt. l never saw the successful cx-
pertinent. But have rigorous divorce
law, and that woman will say, IF am
atianced to that man, it Is for life, and
If now, In the ardor of his young love
and the prize to be won, he will not
give up his cups, when he has won the
prize surely he will not give up his cups"
And so that woman will say to the man:
mo, sir; you are already married to the
club, and you are married to that evil
habit, and so you are married twice, and
you are bigamist. Coz
A rigorous divorce law will also do
much to hinder hasty and inconsiderate
marriages. Under the impression that
one can be easily released, people enter
the relation without inquiry and without
reflection. Romance and impulse rule
the day. Perhaps the only ground for the
marriage compact is that she likes his
looks, and he admires the graceful way
she passes around the ice cream at the
picnic! 1t is all they know about each
other. 1t is all the preparation for life.
A man not able to pay his own board
bill, with not a dollar in his possession,
will stand at the altar md take the low
ing hand and say, with all my worldly
goods l thee endow." A woman that
could not make Loaf Of bread to save
her life will swear to love and keep him
in sickness and in health. A Christian
will marry an atheist, and that always
makes conjoincd wretchedness; for If
man does not believe there is God he
Is neither to be trusted with dollar nor
with your lifelong happiness. Having
read much about love in a cottage, pco-
pie brought up in case will go and starve
in hovel. Runaway matches and elope-
ments, nine hundred and ninety -nne out
of q thousand of which mean death and
hell, multiplying on all hands. You See
them in every days newspapers.
Clergymen Left Defenseless.
defense such as they have In other re-
gions where the banns must be previous
ly published and an officer Of the law
must give certificate that all Is right.
so clergymen are left defenseless and
unite those who ought never to be united
Perhaps they are too young, or perhaps
they are standing already in some do
nestle compact. By the wreck Of ten
Thousand homes, by the holocaust of ten
thousand sacrificed men and women, by
the hearthstone Of the family, which is
tho cornerstone Of the state, and In the
name of that God who hath set up the
family institution and who hath made
the breaking OF the marital oath the most
appalling of all perjuries. implore the
congress Of the United States to make
some righteous, uniform law for oil the
states and from ocean to ocean on this
subject Of marriage and divorce.