The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-06-14
THE DIVORCE QUESTION.
Continued from Sixth Page.

Dear Herald IF you will permit a
distant subscriber 10 break into your
symposium on the divorce subject.
| will submit few observations not
however, with the expectation; of
knocking the persimmon, but for
the purpose of contributing my mite
towards the alienation of suffering
humanity.
My plan would be TO throw the door
wide open to the woman. She would
be required to file request with clerY
of proper court; husband served with
notice in usual way and after said
request has lain in court 30 days prior
to regular rule day, the clerk should
be empowered TO issue decree of di-
vorce if the wife was still of the same
notion; or she should be allowed to
withdraw said suit in event of a re-
consideration on her part.
The husband should remain under
the restrictions Of the present laws.
Should it be objected that such dis
elimination would be unconstitu-
tional, then let that clumsy old docu-
ment be mOdernized until it becomes
amendable to the law of con IN IN sense.
In horse racing circles determinations
are resOrted to in the way of weights,
and no one yelps about unequal bur.
dens.
Indeed this very discrimination is
practiced for the purpose of equalizing
opportunities.
Verify, Verify, the children of
this world are wiser in their genera
ton than the children of light
The above plan however is merely
tentative, and may not be entirely
free of imperfections. Should it be
able to effect the desired end that is
all that is necessary. The shorter the
better.
All that we know of marriage is
that it is a civil contract The en-
thusiast can build around that frame
work any figure his imagination can
invent. The field is open, and many
beautiful corruscations of fancy have
become encysted in our language. One
of the most common and orthordox,
that matches are made in Heaven, "
has Knocked the unfortunate for ages
To those who have entered into this
contract in the proper spirit, and have
learned by experience that they have
made no mistake, no divorce law, how
ever liberal, would offer any induce
ment
1t is the poor, tired, disgusted wife,
to whom / would offer relief. | have
often heard it argued that the unscru-
pulous would take advantage of any re-
laxaion of the divocre law. To that |
invariably answer that the present
laws present no insurmountable obsta-
Gle whatever to the interruptions. The
statutes set out the grounds of divorce
just as they do the grounds of attach
ment, and all that is required is proof
to establish one allegation. And the
INSCRIPTIONS find no difficulty what
ever in that direction. A little per
jury take your decree, and the
emancipated walks forth in quest per-
haps Of other victims, while the more
conscientious oftimes fail of the nee
essary proof.
There are then two classes which
would not be effected by the 'open
door policy" the one the truly and
| happily wed, and the other the I'M
scrupulous. The relief would come
only to these sadly in need of it. ]
think the beneicent effects of such a
law would follow almost Immediately
The ante-nuptial gallantry of Mr..
Husband would again be in evidence.
Good soldiers and good citizens are
made of all sorts of material, but most
men need some kind of restraint. II
not placed under some restraint they
should, at least, be Invested of theil
absolute despotism. There are very
many husbands who would not abuse
their authority and the good wife
would never know that an absolute
despotism hangs over her pretty head.
But fortunately there are not enough
of this kind to go round. Some in
nocent, unsuspecting girl will fall to the
lot of a brute; then let her have the
power to either make a man of him Oh
get rid of him.
think my plan would make wo
man the queen she ought to be; ant
that without increasing the number of
divorces to an appreciable extent.
EXPERT.