The Tucson citizen., 1901-12-21
THE DIVORCE SCANDAL.

hat they are to a large extent the
Guardians and directors Of the morals
of the people Il good deal of trouble
our Catholic friends are not included
among those who are kept awake
ntrhts trying to think out an idea to
sc.yc the divorce problem. The
Catholics settled the question long
ago by refusing TO tolerate or recogn-
i2e divorce. and the cierics OF that
faita can sit back and laugh at the eff
forts OF their Protestant contem-
poraries TO bring order and deeency
out of the divorce chaos.
The clergymen OF the Episcopal
Church are in the worst mix-np. More
than half the ecclesiastIcs of that
denomination believe with the Catho-
lies that there should be no divorce
at all, while the remainder go as far
as the other Protestant sects in the
direction of extreme liberalism. There
is no doubt in the minds OF thinking
people that the divorce evil Is sappng
NJ the roots OF society. II is becoming
a national scandal and menace To
morals. The Catholic Church and the
State of South Carolina forbid divorce
Other churches and several States. II
not offering premium on divorce.
certainly do nothing to prevent and
very little to discourage that dis
deGeneracy.
Bishop Doane OF Albany Ia at pres
ent wrestling with the question. will
liam OF Albany" Is one OF the pillars
OF the Episcopal Church. He doesn
like the Catholics who have invaded
his own family and made Monsignor
OF his brother. and is not willing even
to accept good morals from that
ancient organization. On the other
hand, he has a hearty contempt for
the popular Protestant sects and
makes no concealment Of his belief
that divorce Is becoming a menace TO
society and a national scanoal.
Bishop Doane in an article on
"Remarriage after Divorce SAYS that
Impressions hard to correct are often
created by the manner OF putting
things" His way of stating the points
of the divorce question certainly has
the merit OF dlsslpatng some Of the
obscurities in which the discussion
thereof frequently becomes involved.
lie holds that when Interested parties
demand from the Church recognition
of the right and legality OF divorce
they really mean that the Church
ought TO sanction the remarriage
OF divorced persons. Unfortunately. We
think, this is the very thing the
Church does.
Bishop Doane holds that since the
Church has no power to grant
4, ,vorces, she ought not to be asked
10 deal with them in the way of any
remarrlage Whatever. while com
PEELED to acknowledge that divorce
granted by competent civil authority
relieves the parties from the obliga-
ton of the civil contract into which
they had entered. and leaves them
free for anything the law allows them
to do, stlil the Church has the right to
remand such people to the civil
magIstracy 10 secure their remarrIaGe
1t Is proper, furthermore, for the
Cnurcn to decide whether persons who
marry a second time while their form
or partners In matrimony are still liF-
Ing should be preeluded from the
sacraments: for, although remarriage
permitted by the laws Of the state
may not be regarded "A crime it may,
nevertheless. be sinful and abhorrcnt
to the teachings Of the gospel
This Is but begging the question -
making apology to people who have
swapped conIugaI partners. So much
for the churchman's view Of the ques-
ton. Bishop Doane. however, goes a
little further, and throws light on the
sociological aspect of the subject His
arguments. though tersely Btated. are
cogent and hought-compllllng. The
abuse of the law to facilitate the
swapping Of wives or husbands
strikes at the very root OF our social
fabric Whether the absolute denial
by the state of the privilege Of divorce
would result In worse evil is PROPOSE
llon concerning which there is room
for honest doubt and difference of
opinion. There can be no doubt. how
ever, that socially beneficent work Is
being done by the clergymen and
lawyers who are engaged in the de-