Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-10
A SOCIAL QUESTION,

II Is beginning to dawn upon the
minds of some OF the social reformers
who have regarded Utah as the chief
field for their exertions. that there are
other spheres OF usefulness where their
influence might be brought to bear
with profit to the country. The al
legged evils existing in this State have
been greatly exaggerated to their view
and have become so magnihed as 10 ex-
crude from their observation the actual
disorders Of the society in which they
live. and move. and have their being.
The subject OF marriage and divorce,
as It effects the civilized world, Is at
tracing considerable attention. The
looseness Of the marriage tie, when re-
garded as a civil contract TO be dis
solved for trivial causes at the whim
Of the parties, Is one Of the great evils
OF the age. II encourages divorce. 1t
tends to discover the attachment which
should bind children to parents. and so
becomes a real foe to the American
home"
Divorce has become 30 common In
the United States that II is having a
very baneful effect upon society. Chill
dren OF divorced persons are placed
frequently In a very unpleasant posi-
ton. and the example OF their parents
is likely to be followed by them, when
they enter into the matrimonial state
and find It filed with cares and duties
and perplexiiies which they did not an
.lclpate in their youth. and from which
they expect TO find an easy escape by
walking In the footsteps OF their easily
separated parents. The question Of
parentage and also OF inheritance be-
comes very much involved In conse-
quence OF the separations and re-
marriages that take place, and thus the
family, which is the foundation OF the
State. becomes terribly mixed up.
Divorce, however. is moi to be regard
ed as an unmixed evil. IL sometimes
becomes an absolute necessity. There
are couples who cannot possibly live
together In the marriage relation In
peace. There is an incompatibillty
which is a constant irritation, and
which patience and charity fail to
overcome. Is 1t not better for such
persons to part, than TO remain together
in conditions which are not only con-
stantly painful to themselves, but en-
tail upon their posterity a disposition
10 evil rather than good?
People who have no other guide In re-
ligious matters than their own notions
or the orthodox Interpretations OF the
Bible, Will quote the sayings Of the Sa-
vior recorded in the New Testament,
as TO the wrong OF divorce except for
one flagrant cause. They do not under
stand that the book records only
few OF the Instructions given by Jesus
Christ to His disciples. and that even
they are bat briefly given. Also they do
not take into account the difference be.
tween conditions that exist today, and
those IN which the Great Teacher
moved when He dwelt in mortality.
Therefore they often reach wrong and
sometimes absurd conclusions.
One thing In this connection ought
TO be understood; The rule laid down
by the Nazarene which Is so often quot
ed, applied to a man who desired to
put away his wife," instead Of a wo-
man seeking divorce from her husband.
The whole question turned upon that
part OF the Mosaic code which permit
ted man TO put away his wife by sim
ply giving her "a bin Of enforcement"
This He desired to correct His teach
ing was in the special interest Of wo-
man. She was not to be put away ex-
Get for the one cause, nor in the man.
ner that was then in vogue.
Giving wife bin and sending her
away is very different to a judicial sep
aration, after trial aud the production
.: evidence which court decides Is
sufficient justification for decree And
while Il may be improper and unohrs-
dan fof a man to seek to be divorced
IRON bis wife unless for the great Of
Tense, though that IS somewhat open
10 question the right Of a woman to be
separated from a drunken. brutal or
otherwise cruel man. whom she loathes
ard WHOSE touch TO her Is poison. Is not
denounced lu the teachings OF the divine
Master Common sense declares that 1t
is wrong and against the welfare OF so.
ciety, 10 bind a woman TO such oondi.
ton that she shall be forced to become
a mother to the offspring Of hate and
detestation
The tendency Of modern opinion In
the direction Of the reputation Of re-
ligious authority in matrimony and d.
yorce, We regard as productive OF much
eyil 70 the world 1t Is true that eccle-
siasticS, eouris have become less aud