The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1904-11-22


Dallas. Nov. 22-The divorce ques-
fion and means whereby the laws can
be made more stringent were discussed
at meeting held here In which cIer-
gymen, lawyers and doctors took an
active part. Nearly every religious
faith was represented. All depiored the
evil and each denounced 1t. Revs- j.
Frank Smith and George Eaves. both
of Dallas. were elected chairman and
secretary respectively.
Rev. Chalmers Mcpherson of Wax
ahachie. who inaugurated the meeting.
offered statistics. He stated that while
there was one divorce to every 52S mar
riages in England. in the United States
the proportion was one to twenty three
He had written to six counties in
Texas and had heard from five of them.
The replies showed that In Collin coun
ty this year there had been 329 marri
age licenses ISSUED and thirty-nine APP
plications for divorce. In McLennan
county there were 7T2 marriages ana
1873 applications for divorce, ratio II
one divorce to four marriages Tarrant
county records show there had been 800
marriages and 230 applications for d.
vorce-a bout one 10 -four. Dallas Couu
ty was the worst Of all, showing 1892
marriages and $50 applications for d.
voree-about one divorce 10 every three
marriages.
In this county ne had made divis-
ion showing that in the cotc-ed race
there was about one divorce to three
marriages and in the white race about
one divorce to ten marriages. Thes"
wee actual divorces granted and show
ed that one negro was divorced TO every
I-l3 married and that one white per
son was divorced to every thirteen
ma TTied.
A committee OF 1--WE was appointed
to draw up d set Of resolutions. On
this committee we're named Rev.
George Truett OF Dallas, Rev, J w
Caldwell Of Fort worth. Rev. James
NJ Hayes OF Dallas, DIR. John Nj. Moore
of Dallas and Chalmers Mcpherson Of
Waxahachie.
Dr. West OF Waxahaehie thought tn"
main cause for divorce was ~~e lack OF
early training OF children.
Rev, &. |. Scofield of Dallas thought
marriage was treated too much as al
matter OF sentiment Some one said
marriages were made in heaven" said
the speaker but from the light of his
experience he thought large per cent
OF them were made in hell
Rev. Father Hayes, rector OF the Ro-
man Catholic cathedral OF the Sacred
Heart Dallas. declared divorce the
greatest social evil In America, and De
cIared the Catholic church had jeal-
ouey guarded the sanctity Of marriage
against the rest OF the world. He as
vured his hearers that his church would
render any assistance TO crush the evil
Rabbi t4reenburg OF Dallas. while
cnn1emning the vice. said the meeting
shauld take a logical vein. He believed
that in certain rare cases divorce was
tustifable
Rev James o. Reavis. pastor OF the
First Presbyterian church. Dallas. said
every minister should declare that he
would marry no divorced person.
Rev. G. ., f. walk, dean Of ST
Matthews Episcopal cathedral. Dallas
said some action should be brought to
bear upon Legislators. 4 refrain from
marrying divorced people myself All
Of you ministers might DO r., but that
Wouldn't stop the evil because they car
so across the street 10 the office of "a
justice Of the peace and have the Ger
~uouy performed A law ought TO be
enacted that 30 marriage contract can
be performed for "a person who has been
divorced unt1 certain length OF time
has elapsed The principal thing We
can DO is 10 create a public sentiment
and influence rhe people"
Judge } L. Albright defended dis
trict Judges
} n. Couren an eN-member of the
Legislature favored an anti divorce
league He said judges were strict
and the fault was With thu law.
Another meeting win he held at Dali
las Dee T.. 1t which time the commit
tee VIII report