The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-17

VOWS. "Childe Harold" indecencies de- ceitful wives, deceiving men-these move as an ever changing kaleidoscope before the fascinated eyes of the young readers. There the boy and the girl learn to call crime respectable and a mans dishonor free lance of gold" bad book worms it's way into the moral vitals and fatally poisons the heart. The way for good peo- pie to keep pure and to prepare them selves for a Christian marriage, which will never be broken this side or the other side of the grave, is for them to live with good people. They must work to make men good They must positively refuse to associate with the bad, whether that bad is found In fiction or In real lie. When the newspapers of the United States make heroes out of the Chicago bandits, they placed a premium on crime. When a bad book eu1ogizes and glorifies the broken marriage ring, 1t is only gild- ing the open door of the divorce court, which is the guilotine of marital love. When Divorce Is Justified.
 But some one asks me, in closing; Are divorces always wrong? Should a hus- band and wife be compelled to live to- gether under all conditions?' Oh. no. The violation of the marriage VOW justify separation, even when there has been no violation of that VOW. It would be grieyous injustice to enforce constant companionship when one of the parties to marriage has contracted habits which render the continued relation an intoler- able misery to the other. l have known such cases and have rejoiced that the law permits the innocent party to be re- lieved of the burden and affords protec- ton from molestation. It is not for me to say when a stage has been reached which demands the intervention of the law. but I do contend that it is a menace to the morals of the people when a contract so solemn and sacred as that of marriage can be broken on pretexts so frivolous as those now recognized in many states. I protest also against the diversity or the divorce laws of the different states which tends to confusion and uncertainty in the relation so vital as this to the morality and stability of society.
 My belief in reference to divorce can be summed up in the words of Sir Walter Scott in the case of Ecand versus Evans.
 tThough in particular cases the repug- nance of the law to dissolve the obliga- tions of matrimonial cohabitation may operate with great severity upon indi- viduals, yet it must be carefully remem- bered that the general happiness of the married life is secured by its indissolu- bility" My belief is summed up in the thought that the more people realize when they marry that they must marry for life the more future generations will be care full how they marry and the more the sanctity of the home will be preserved. Therefore. my friends. suffer almost every injustice for your childrens sake, for Gods sake rather than break the nup- tial bonds.
 In this discussion I have presented, for the most part. only the temporal side of the divorce question. If 1 had spoken from the spiritual side the result would have been self-evident. Gospel love never gave birth to legal hate. May the Christ who uttered the protest of the text against promiscuous divorce bless the earnest words of one whom God has greatly blessed with a happy home.