The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-26
THE WIFE DEsERTER.

THE WIFE DESERTER.
OF the thousands of divorces which the
courts are obliged each year to grant
while morally certain of the lack of real
merit in the application, there is but one
class in which the presumption is en-
tirely in favor of the substantial Justice
of the demand for a dissolution of the
marriage ties. That Is the class of d.
vorces in which the wife applies for
a divorce on the ground of desertion
To leave helpless woman, especially
when she has children, is crime moral
ly, and should be made such legally, and
be punishable severely. AS a matter of
fact the only remedy which the law Of
fers to a deserted wife Is the one of d.
vorce-a remedy which frequently she
cares nothing about, and which, still
herself Of. If the DESERVING husband re-
mains available she may bring him into
court and have him prosecuted for nom
support, and the court may order him to
give bonds for her support or go to Jail.
But as rule he who is scoundrel enough
to desert his wife and children usually
clears out and leaves her and them in
misery, He is lost to sight, and the
children become public charge or are a
source Of anguish to their mother, and
their attempted support in not few
cases ends in har pran, t11yo 6aoth
1t is pleasant to note that there is a
disposition to treat criminals of this
character as they should be treated by
the law. A measure with this general
purpose is now under consideration In the
legislature of this state. The subject, too,
is under general discussion, and
many wholly worthless suggestions are
heard, such as recourse to the whipping
post, as the proper punishment of such
wretches
There is no difficulty in finding rem
edy which will be nearly protective of
society and the family. There are two
classes Of this sort of criminal. One is
represented by him who refuses to sup
port his family and let's them suffer from
want, while still maintaining the relation
of husband and father. The other shakes
off the matrimonial yoke, and runs away.
In neither case does the law provide an
adequate remedy The man who can and
will not support his family, whether he
is the victim of the, drink habit, or is
generally a debauchee, or merely an
idle loafer, is not to be trifled with. He
is of no use to his family while at liberty.
long term in state prison is the true re-
ward which such a fellow should receive
in case he persists in his brutality The
deSerter of his wife and family should
be held felon; and existing laws. and.
II necessary, constitutions, should pro-
vide that he is to be treated as a fugi-
tive from justice and liable to be re-
turned on the requisition of the governor
of the state from which he alb
seconds, to be dealt with as any other
felon who is discovered in another state.
His punishment should be made so Sc
we're that the state whose laws he has
violated would have the benefit of his
enforced labor for a good term of years.
With treatment of this description
certain the coward who leaves, defense
less and helpless, the woman whom he
has contracted to love and honor, and
has, perhaps, thrown his children on the
charity of the world, would have much
more hesitation than he has today in fol-
lowing his depraved instincts
Society is sadly in need of more pro-
lection against it's delinquent members of
this variety than it enjoys today The
G o b e sincerely hopes that the judi
ciary committees of the two houses if
they are called on to seriously consider
this general subject will report such a
measure as will be adequate to meet the
more aggravated cases or this kind, and
put some substantial hindrance in the
way of the commission of this form of
crime, at least in this state.