The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-30
EccIesiastical Politics.

The question Of the division Of the
diocese Of New York over which Bishop
POTTER presides was again postponed
by the Diocesan Convention on Wednes-
day last.
In the State Of New York there arc
already five dioceses OF the Episcopal
Church, with headquarters, respectively,
at New York, at Syracuse, at Buffalo, at
Albany, and at Garden City on Long
Island. Considering that now Bishop
POTTER has a coadjutor in Bishop
GREER, there does not seem to be any
present necessity for such division. In
the Roman Catholic Church the State Is
divided into only six diooeses besides
the Archdiocese OF New York, though
in the city Of New York alone there are
about q million of that faith, or over
ten times moro than the Episcopalian
membership.
That number Of tho Roman Catholics
Is classified by the Federation Of Churches
Is practical Catholics, or those atten-
tive to their religious observances, and
about q quarter of q million are added
d Catholic only by baptism. OF the
Protestant population. that same au-
thority, however, computes that about
ree-quarters Of million are church
less,' or Indifferent to religion. Then
come about 100000 Jews, very many Of
whom arc likewise Indifferent.
Tho Episcopal churches, however, are
attended by large numbers Of Protes-
tants, attracted by the form OF service,
who are not of their membership, as Is
shown very strikingly in the retirement
Of the majority Of the congregations at
the call to communion. The number
yof communicates, therefore, represents
only minority Of the people who are
under the influences Of the Episcopal
Church.
At the Diocesan Convention onWednes-
day Bishop POTTER inveighed against
the divorce laws In our States generally
and declared that much Of our divorce
legislation has nothing behind it except
mere whim or the coarsest passion"
That IL rather sweeping assertion. In
the State Of New York divorce legisla-
ton follows the rule established by the
Episcopal Church, in making adultery
the sole cause for divorce. In all the
other States, with the exception Of South
Carolina, where there is no divorce law,
desertion is allowed as sufficient cause,
In accordance with Protestant practice
introduced at the time Of the Reforma-
ton. Where other causes are added,
cruelty, habitual drunkenness and the
like, the legislation is in the interest of
wives more particularly, and was not
due to such motives as Bishop POTTER
alleged. Two-thirds Of the whole num-
Der OF divorces granted are to wives,
and in only quarter Of all the cases are
they for the prime breach of the mar
Rage contract, This does not indicate
that gross immortality is frequent in the
marriage relation. 1t is probably less
here than in any other country Of civil
ization. unless it be Ireland.
The trouble with our divorce legislation
by the States is chiefly in its diversity,
a. affecting the period of residence, for
sxsmpio; out II there ia to be uniformity,
ts,a vast preponderance OF American
legislative sentiment would seem to
require that it should be in the addition
to the single cause allowed by New York
of the causes OF desertion and intolerable
hardship, for the benefit of wives more
especially.
At the General Convention of the Epis-
copd Church, which meets at Boston
next Wednesday, there will come up
for discussion the question Of changing