The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-15
REMEDY FOR THE DIVORCE EVIL.

In an interesting sermon on "Matri-
mony as a Social Sentiment" preached
TO the women and students at the Sa-
cred Heart Convent, New York, on
Thursday afternoon Father Pardow
said some things in regard to divorce
that would make a good impression in
the direction of checking the divorce
evil if they were made known TO the
people generally. According to his
view marriage is entered into alto
gether too lightly nowadays, and one
of the reasons why this is the case is
the ease with which the marriage re-
lation is severed.
If young men and women were made
to understand that marriage was
solemn contract that could not be
broken except by death, they would
have a profounder realization Of its
gravity and Importance. Each of the
parties to it would then prepare for 1t,
and enter into 1t with a determination
to perform its duties and discharge
faithfully its obligations.
To a steadily increasing extent the
marriage contract is being robbed of
it's sacred character. Men and wom-
en- look upon it lightly, and think it
can be broken as easily as any other
contract. And, as a matter of fact,
there does not seem to be any difficulty
in breaking it. In pretty nearly every
state the courts seem TO be ready and
willing to separate those who have be-
come tired of the marriage relation, or
who have found some one else with
whom they think they would rather
live in the marriage state.
What is the best remedy for this con-
dition of affairs? In the opinion of
Father Pardow it is social ostracism.
He believes that If society frowned on
divorce and subjected the remarked
divorce to social ostracism the result
would be the almost total removal of
the divorce evil. And he is right. 1t
is because there is no sentiment against
divorce and the Divorces social stand
ing is not impaired in the least by the
disruption of his or her marriage re-
1ation that men and women rush to
the divorce court on the slight provo
cations which are the basis of many
of the divorce suits.
Indeed there would not be so many
reasons for divorces IL there were a
better sentiment abroad in respect to
the sacredness of the marriage bond.
There would be fewer such scandals as
that which is now agitating Buffalo,
N. Y. In that case one life, and it may
be three have been sacrificed. and the
regulations of three women smirched.
And who will deny that laxity OF NOR
ais, due largely to the divorce evil is
responsible for the whole deplorab1e af-
fair?
Burdick, the murdered man, and all
Of the other principal characters in the
affair moved in what is called society.
They were people who ought to have
lived lives above reproach and been
examples that the less favored in their
community could have followed with
benefit. With the growth of wealth
and the increase of luxury, however,
the signs of laxity in morals among
the rich are increasing with appalling
rapidity. a
The marriage relation is the founda-
ton of society and every effort should
be made to prevent the divorce evil
from undermining it. Only those who
have given the subject careful study
realize how great the divorce evil Is.
The best way, in fact the only effec-
tive way. to combat it is by creating
public sentiment against it.