The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1902-10-31

answer hardly involve the action OF
the church or the state, for Christ was
obedient to the law, but only involved
the individual right of the husband,
for even now, the Church of Rome, in
certain exceptional cases, annuls the
marriage contract.
Looking at the image and the super
scriptiOn on the coin, Christ said:
Render unto Caesar the things which are
Caesars and unto God the things that are
Gods"
If the marriage relation entails
slavery and debssement ppon the
wife, or if it produces discord, and
evil, and unhappiness, and a life that
j. a reproach to the community, then
il were better that the marriage were
dissolved.
In formulating rale OF action in
respect Ia marriage ana divorce the
crucial test must tee the welfare ol the
children.
If children are born of marriage
IL were better for the wife or the hus.
band to live down differences, submit
to wrongs and indignities for the sake
of the education and bringing up of
the children under conditions that
will Ice conducive to their best devel-
opment and the perfection and adj
vancement of our civilization.
But if this cannot be done without
constant quarrels and blows, if it en-
tails slavery aud debasement upon
either, common sehse teaches that
separation would be better for all con-
cerned.
Malcolm Dean writing upon this
subject says:
"A confirmed drunkard, for in
stance, can have no moral right To
his wife's body, no right To generate
children, or To care for those unfOr-
tunate enough 10 have been born 10
him. Nature has fitted woman to be
the most suitable caretaker fer the
young, and in most cases 1t l. 20 her
that the custody of the children should
he given. Ne have nothing To do to-
day with barharous ceremonial no.
tons of uncleaunesS. Unless a wO-
man i clearly morally or physically
unfit Ia bring up her offspring she has
the best right 10 il. Nor should di.
vOrce be 50 limited i'm the number of
statutory grounds for which it may be
granted 1t i individually more i'm
moral for men and women 10 live to-
gether in legalized prostitution under
the coercion of church and society
than for them to separate. Woman
should own herself, should decide
whether IL il right for her 10 become
a mother when She does not love the
father of her child, for no man has a
right To bring into existence life
which il not wanted. What We need
l. stronger restrictions on marriage.
Woman can tee trusted with almost
absolute power Of divorce, and the
world would become better if she
had the right ~ separate from her
husband for even such a cause a. in
compatibility of temper and DISPOSE
ton. Ii l. more Immoral for people
who have ceased tai love each other To
continue Ia live together, if the inter
ests If the children can be adequately
looked after hy the mother, than it is
for them TO Ice divorced
1.-The highest morality j. this. Mar
risge should not h- allowed To- be- con
tracted without mutual love, and it
should he dissolved At will if either
party ceases Ia love the other, provid-
ed always that the children are cared
for in - sufficient manner and given
into the custody OF the mother. We
stand for The freedom of men and wo-
men, and ~ believe that free wo-
man can better fulfill her obligations
10 her children than one who il the