The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-25
PATTON on DIVORCE
Facility with Which DISOrces Are Granite q
Is Disgrace to Civilization.


President Patton, addressing the
Princeton students on a recent Sunday
referred In the seyerest terms To the
remarrlage In Connecticut OF woman
of the fashionable society oil New
York immediately after her Original
husband had obtained divorce from
her in New York for adultery. lie de-
scribed 1t as indicative OF "degcnerd'
tion," and said that lit is time CHRIS
uans turned their attention To ques'
lions of fundamental morals. he ai'
SO instanced i, us Il fragrant example
of the evils due to the faclllty win
which divorces are granted In the war;
GUS States of the Union, saying tla.
they were "a disgrace to clVllizatlon'
With the two exceptions OF S""lh
Carolina, in which there Is no divorce
and New York, where full divorce 10
Obtainable for adultery only, s"cn ."
cility prevails ia all other States OF tIie
Union, or ut least various grounds loi
disSOlving the marriage contract a'e
allowed. Accordingly, liberhllty rs ~
this matter may he said To dis'iusu'S"
American law 1t is no greater, nov"
ever, than prevails Ia Germany, where
wilful deSertion, CrI-el treatment, III
compatibility, disordpIly conduct anu
other offences are made grounds Ioi
divorce Nor does there s'tin 10 ne
any probability that the causes foi lhe
dissolution or marriage VIII he teu"'en
here, for Ia spite OF the "Ahinpie "'
New York Ia Couiiniig divorce 10 one
cause only, new States, as Ih'y nave
been formed, have followed lnVhrEapiy
the example or States which have tue
most liberal divorce laws. anu III no
such Stale IL there exhibited any Ills
position to harmonic lis treatment Oh
the subject with that of New YORK "r
South Carolina. Attempts have long
been made 10 bring about uniformly
of State legislation touching divorce
but apparently they can never h' sue
ceSSful unless these two STATES yleIu
in some measure mt least Ia Iii" pre-
Valrnt sentiment Of the Union ID ihVaf
of more latitude.
Moreover, in New York itself the so
cial sentiment. more particularly nf
the circle of fashion. has been proved
by multitudeS of examples {" hr 10
favor of what is called free divorce,
except in the Roman Catholic culmihnn
ity. The dissolution of marriages ny
the laws of other States. no matter
how great the facility they afford for
it, Is recognized socially rs sufficient
and subsequent marriages to other
mates receive cOuntrnaucr and mp
prevail The opinion aud practice of
the society In New York are IN favor
of free divorce and against the rrStric
ton by New York law to adultery
only According to President Patton,
L. Il Ia. ~
iliZati0n." and il is time for il Ia turn
its attention To Fundamental morals
The specific cuardin I morals, how
ever. is The Church. Il how has II
proceeded IN this unlici Of divorce.
with the single exception uf til"
Church Of Rome MANY of tho clergy
do not hesitate to rOnnt"nHnCr free
divorce by sharing i'll the pleasures Of
society which tolerate the practice
Is not. then. the Church uakiuG u
sell substantially partn";. an nl"tt"T
of iniuuity through the neglect "t Iis
ministers to drnOunCc all such mar
riagrS as wicked and spurious and an
athCnIatiziu2 as immoral and corrupt
the society which recognizes them?
The evil II evil there he. is MOI ~
the legal facility for divorce but In
the social sentiment which uSiiiirs il
and thus infrrcntially drmnnds II
where il is not allowed by statute law
1t is the sentiment Of y society. too
which Processes obligation To Christian
principles. or, at least. patr0niIrS the
Church. rs requisite tu conventional
responsibility The time was when Ill
vOrce throughout the Union cast II &n
social cloud on all those who took al
vantage of II. more especially women
A divorced woman. no mntirr how III
nOcpnt otherwise OF offence against
the marriage relation, suffered in rel,
ntation; but socially opinion has
changed so completely III the last gen
GRAFTON that divorces are now taken rs
q matter of course and treated nS en-
tirely iuStIiablc
So long. therefore, as that new SrntI
mrnt exists. and il shows II tendency
to grow more and more liberal. how is
1t possible TO prevent facility Of iii
vorcc by law? Law is the rAprpsSinn
Of public sentiment. ami such srnli
mcnt Ia even the most exclusive so
ciPty of fashion is indisputahly In
favor OF the freeSt divorce possible
Men and women divorced in States
where there is the greatest facility nj
divorce allowed by law have no dini
Guilty In finding ministers Ia marry
them to new mates
If. az President Patton says. this
is y question of fundamental ChrStipn
morals. the Protestant Churches. Htili
so powerful In mold ng social sentiment
seem to be lax in the performance OF
their duty as the especial constituted
guardians OF morals. As things are 20
Ing on now with their tolprationS. il
not actual assistance. marriage will
lose its sanctity entirely in n few gen
erations. If religion does not at once
rise and put Il stop to the declining ten
denCY.