Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-10-04
LAX aD1VoRCE LAWS.
[Waterloo Reporter. il

LAX DIVORCE LAWS.
[Waterloo Reporter.l
The Marion Register does not believe.
the operation or purpose OF our divorce
laws are wholly bad. The trouble with
divorces 1t says. usually begins at
the other end of married life" which is
true enough SO far as every cause has
an effect. The Register believes that
many sufferer. one or both parties to
a marriage contract, is relieved by a
divorce. and that the conditionsof both
is bettered by a legal separation of the
ties. There are no doubt many cases
where it is best that each party should
80 his or her own way, but the remark
able increase in divorce cases in the
courts OF Iowa Indicates that our law is
extremely lax In furnishing plenty of
opportunity to escape the burdens OF in
discretion if not downright foolishness
1t seems to be an impossibility to regu-
late marriage to an extent that willspre-
vent alliances that are almost certain to
Reproductive OF divorce proceedings In
a short time. Perhaps If freedom from
the contract was more difficult to obtain
lit would have a restraining influence
to needless marriages, but that is very
doubtful. Many. couples marry who.
should not. and their union has the all
most i1ivariable ending in divorce suit,
but it is not clear how statutory law
can prevent a man or woman who
think they are in love from making
fools OF themselves. as we'll as creating
q flood Of sorrow for the near future.
Moralists will rail against the condition
which permits such occurrences. but
there is little to hope for in the way OF
legal restraint to prevent what has all
ways happened and what probably al
ways will. Education might help If the
persons were not wholly bereft Of rea-s
son when the fatal step is taken. 1t
seems that the people need fixing more
than the laws.
AN OLD STORY REPEATED.
[Sioux City Journal.l
The Des NIoines Daily Democrat has
died from lack OF nourshment. Its.
publisher. II. NJ. Bclvel. announces that
the effort TO give the capital city
democratic newspaper has cost him 5000
in cash and involved him in indebted
ness from which he will not emerge
during the next five years. He evident
iy feels rather wroth With the demo
Gratis OF the state for the failure to give
him the support which he declares he
had a right TO expect" AS a matter
Of fact Mr., Belyel had little warrant for
expecting support for his publication.
The da. has gone by when newspaper
may expect patronage because OF its
politics, apart from Its merits as a
newspaper. 1t Is NOT necessary for a.
newspaper to have no politics or a
sliding scale OF politics in order to at
tract support. Most newspapers man
age to seryesa political party with more
or less faithfulness. But no newspaper
can expect TO win success on the mere
ground of party loyalty. It was in this
respect that the Democrat failed. 1t is
not pleasant to say fiatlering things OF
the dead, but in order to point the moral
1T is necessary to say that the Demo-
.crat, was not a good newspaper. 1t could
not compete with he other newspapers
OF the Des Moines field and of the state
in the important matter OF news. The
fact that II has been run for three
months on cash expenditure of few
hundred dollars is a sufficient indica-
ton of how little Of a, newspaper the
Democrat was. 1t probably got all the
support 1t deserved on Its merits as a
That Ia all any newspaper
has a right to expect. Mr.. Belvels ex-
pertinent has not demonstrated whether
or not the Des Aioineh field offers an
opening for a democratic daily. 1t has
only redemonstrated the old proposi-
ton that In any newspaper field, new
aspirant for public favor must come in
to . he competition prepared to compete
with the older newspapers In, the matter
OF intrinsic merit us purveyor OF
news. II.