Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-27
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.

of divorce and is making a strong effort
to counteract the present tendency to
rush to the courts for an easily obtained
decree as the only solution for marital
difficulties, be they serious or slight.
This evil has grown to such proper
tons in the United States during the
past few years that it has become a ma
tional disgrace. The sacred institution
of marriage. the hottest of all earthly
bonds, has been degraded and debased
until it has come to be looked upon by a
large portion of the people as something
to be entered into or abandoned at will.
The newspapers teen with reports of
divorces, and the great majority of the
DEGREES are granted on statutory
grounds, upon default, showing practi-
cal COLLISION between the parties. To
them the marriage tie is no more bind
ing h a thing to be broken at any time
through caprice or convenience. A cou-
pie of weeks ago, in New York City. it
was discovered that a firm established
there was doing a landoffice business in
procuring DEGREES of divorce. It was
found that the people conducting the
agency" kept a corps of professional
witnesses on hand and were ready to
swear to the truth of any charge set out
-. 49, r,,o NJ oo5 ute,
desiring separation would agree upon the
nature of the grounds to be alleged. The
case would be sent to a referee to take
testimony, and if the husband alleged in
fidelity on the part of his wife, the pro-
that he was a party to the offense. A
great hue and cry was raised over the
infamy of the people connected with the
"agency" although little or nothing was
said about the infamy of the husbands
and wives who, acting in collision, re-
sorted to such disgraceful means to pro-
cure divorces while they waited.
The attitude of mind which ~tolerates
such a condition of affairs is much worse
than merely wrong, and any influence
that can be exerted to uplift the institu-
ton of marriage to the high plane where
it belongs must be welcomed.
The Episcopal church has now put it.
self squarely against all this business.
Bishop McLaren. of Chicago, who has
made a special study of the subject, gives
it as his Judgment that the evil COM
p,ained of has so lowered the tone OF
public morality that ecclesiastical legis-
lation is a necessity.
dy the church proposes. The subject
was taken up by the church at the gen
eral convention in 1898, when a special
committee was appointed to formulate
new canons to regulate it. The existing
canon which was adopted twenty-three
years ago, provides that the innocent
party in a divorce for the cause of adul-
terry may be remarked by a clergy
man. Under the proposed canons, Epis-
copal ministers are forbidden to unite in
, marriage any person who has been the
husband or wife of any other person then
living. This would prohibit ministers
. from uniting in marriage any divorced
l person who has been separated for any
cause whatever, even adultery, unless
f the cause existed prior to the marriage
l.. The canon reads:
I No minister shall solemnize marriage
t between any persons unless, nor unit
by inquiry, he shall nave satisfied him,
= seef that neither person is Or has beer
the husband or wife of any other person
living. unless the former marriage wa
annulled by the decree of some court Of
[ competent jurisdiction for cause existing
e prior to such former marriage.
The third canon is far more rigorou
e in it's provisions, as it excludes from
grace by any means within the dispen
!? sation of the church any divorced per
l. son who shall have remarked and shal
be living with a second husband or wifi
y while the other party to such divorce I
- still living. The canon applies only, O
n course, to the offending party in divorce
lie and it's avowed intention is to outlaw tn
lie offender so far as church fellowship goe.
rs and provides for his readoption in til
fold only on condition that he apple
s. when truly p~enitent and separate fro,
of the party of the second marriage; or
r, he should be in immediate danger {
e. death, and so being, should show til
lie true spirit of repentance. This construt
m ton is given upon no less authority tina