The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-26
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.

1
The Episcopalians have at last
agreed, or rather compromised theil
opinions, on the divorce question. I'm
der the newly adopted canon, persons
who have disrupted the marital tie
will not be married by an Episcopal
clergyman until after the lapse of q
year from the rendering of the divorce
decree; and then the divorced person
seeking to be married must submit
proof that he or she was the innocent
party. This restriction will no doubt
be productive of good results.
But doesn't it seem that those who
are so much interested in bringing
about divorce reformation would do
we'll to pay more attention to the other
end of the question? We mean, OF
course, the matter of marriage in the
first instance. Hasty, ill-advised mar
riages cause untold suffering and mis-
ery-and divorces. Many young man
without "a cent in his pocket will mar
ry a girl also penniless who doesn t
! know how to make up a bed or mix
a batch of biscuits. The young man
may have had difficulty in earning
enough to keep himself in food and
clothes, yet he takes a wife and as
sumes the responsibilities of a family
in utter Carelessness or thoughtless-
ness as to what will be the outcome.
Following such a marriage there too
often come trouble, hardship, sick
IN ri
ing, cruelty, desertion, divorce.
Many an unwise marriage might be
prevented, even at the last moment,
if the clergyman or the magistrate had
the authority or the tact to make in
quiries and give the candidates for mat
rimony bit of fatherly advice. Doubt
less numbers of young couples go to
the altar to be married knowing at the
time that they are taking a foolish
step. Both are ready and willing to
quit before the binding obligation is
taken, but neither has the moral cour-
age to make the first move in that
direction. There is where the fatherly
preacher could do a good deed by show
ing them how mot to do 1t.
There are some ministers who make
investigations and offer such advice as
in their judgment seems good to young
persons who apply to them to be mar
ried, but the number of them is small.
And the fatherly preacher finds that
his good advice is as much needed
among the weather. classes as the
poorer. The man may be dissipated or
the woman giddy and frivolous. Aft
er marriage the man may find his wife
anywhere and everywhere but at home.
having neither time nor taste for do
nestle affairs, or the woman may find
that her husbands tastes run more to
clubs and cards and late hours than
to the home circle. The happy life
that had been expected is lacking:
there are jars, neglect and probably
divorce.
1t is the duty of parents, of course.
to educate their children up to a. lust
and proper appreciation of the duties
and responsibilities of married life.
and then to assist the children as far
as they can in the selection of suit
able life-partners. But it is impossible
to get any very great percentage of
parents to do this. There are too many
of them who are glad enough to have
their children marry anybody. There
is where the minister and the magis-
trate could step in and advise against
a folly that the parents failed to avert .
Were this to become a rule among men
who are authorized to perform the
marriage ceremony. there can be lit
tie doubt that both thoughtless mar
rfages and divorces would be fewer.
Just after a Kansaa Woman cao,,rae