Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-01-22
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAcE. DID,.
: Pastor Of jefferson Parh Presby-
- seri~n Church. Chicago

sin, easy uivorce, ana the lncongruouS
conflict OF state laws on the subject
are unsparingly characterized. The
preacher indicates the only way out OF
CHS immoral tangle which is wrecking
the home and Decorating the marriage
altar. The text Is Mark X, o, What
therefore God hath Joined together let
not man put asunder."
As the civil war was the mortal clash
Between two conflicting ideas, so to-
day we ind conficting ideas in mortal
combat over the marriage altar. The
one Is the Christ idea. which declares
that marriage Is not confederation
that can be broken at will, but an in
dissoluble union. This idea asserts that
after marriage the twain in every sense
becomes one. The second idea declares
xhat easy divorce is not crime, but
often. for the social good, a necessity.
II says that whom a man and a woman
are unequsliy yoked together-it Is bet
ter that they be separated by law, even
IL the cause for separation be not so
serious as that recognized in the Bible.
and, more, that they may, IL they wish,
contract new marriages.
But though James Bryce In his
american Commonwealth" sfarms that
the family as a unit Is 1.-The one funda-
mental and permanent problem of hu-
tnan life and society" yet everywhere,
by reading the signs OF the times. we
can see that by easy divorce the sane
tity OF the home Is imperiled. Every
where the danger signals are being lift
ed. to prove that marriage IL becoming
more and more a mere temporary con-
>venience. Carroll D. Wright In his Ia
Dor statistics declares that In the year
aSs9 there were 98.072 divorces In the
state OF Illinois alone and that there
was one divorce to every fifteen mar
Riages. He went on TO show that from
1857 to 1885 there were S2s, 716 divorces
IN the United States and that each year
The proportion OF divorces to the nure.
Der Of inhabitants In the United States
was on the increase. just as the indi-
vidusl wealth of the Americans per
capita increases year by year. Surely
such an evil record as that ought to
bring blush OF shame to the cheeks
or American manhood aud womanhood
and might be regarded al @ national
disgrace even by the inhabitants Of
the French capital. 1t would have been
n blot on the historical pages Of hcen-
deus Rome. So awful IL the spread of
this divorce evil and se bluntsd are be-
coming the once keen edges OF public
sentiment upon this question that Nor
gan Dix, who In no sense can be called
q sensationanst. uttered last Thanks
giving day this scathing investive
against Wholesale licensed libertinism,
now being practiced through the wide
epen doors OF the legal courts OF our
isndi THE divorce evil Is terrible. II
u an evil we must try to uproot. Once
Upon time IL we ever mentioned the
fact that person had been divorced
we spoks Of II under our breath. rs a
snbject not proper for conversation. We
then regarded divorce as something
closely related to disgrace, and that not
long ago either" Now rapid degen-
eracy OF social sentiment upon this evil
has taken place. We look upon easy
divorce as respectable. We even honor
some OF those who have thus criminally
broken their nupt1al vows, when, IN
stead. we should hold them I'm everlast-
Ing assrepute.
'--- A~c~n Fer United Action.
Against the further spread and for
the extsrmination OF this divorce evil
TIE Catholic church Is already up In
arps. Against II the PRESBYTERIAN
chprch. with its general assembly COM
uittse working In unison with the Sis
ter churches. Is struggling night and
day. Against IL only few weeks ago
all the Rhode Island ministers banded
themselves together to give religious
combat. Thus, as the public leaders OF
many denominations are lighting this
and would be destroyer
Of the home. 1t is not inappropriate for
zne 10 speak a few words in reference
70 those legal and domestic causes
W hich might hereafter make easy d.
verce" an impossibiiity.
First, nothing can be accomplished In
q material way Unless there is national
lekislatten OF At least concerted action
amenG the different state legislatures
upon this subject. There must be all
over the land harmonious and united
lseal action against the divorce evil.
IL shculd be made impossible for a
man 70 get q divorce In one state
rhieh he Gould not obtain on the same
ground in any one of the 5000 divorce
courts OF the United States. All those
courts ought TO be IN agreement as to
what causes Justify and what do not
Justify the dissolution Of q marriage.
We recognize the necessity of the
cripiHai courts Of the United States
working In harmony. Why should we
Got recognise the necessity of concert
ID action by divorce courts? Some
years ago h Chicago a man killed his
wife and burned her body in the var
sf q sausage factory. Supposing after
hat crime lac could have stepped across
he state line and in Indiana dense the |
egai authorities OF Illinois. What |
would have been the resuitf Suppos-
ne that notable murderer could have |
walked free man In Phiiadeiphis aft
'r he had poisoned his child wife In |
New York city. Why. murder and out
awry would be everywhere In the
uh'tsd States running rampant. To-
lay your life would not be worth the |
Isius or pin only as you were able |
% protect IL with your own arm and |
5efy your would be murderer behind
ne barricaded walls OF your own home.
70. no! The only safety of life de-
ends upon this fact: II you commit q
murder In one state and then run away
mother state governor will recognise
our extradition papers and allow YOU
be forcibly returned to the place
Fhsts you committed tho crime.
Diverae Laws sheuId Ne Uniform.
We recognize the necessity OF con.
ertsd action between states on the
aurder question We recognize also
be necessity OF concerted action be-
ween different nations and widely
eparated authorities In cases OF theft
well as murder. A few years ago
II that cashier had to do after
'resking bank was to cross the Cana
Ian line and he was safe. Ontario
nd Quebec and Montreal were ..cfties
refuge" crowded with fugitiyes
rom American justice. Hundreds of
efaulters from Chicago and New York
nd San Francisco and other cities
ere living there 0Ioa TING ovar &hot.