The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-04
A Subject Which Interests Many OF
Our Correspondents.

We continue to receive letters on the
subject Of "true love- They are uni
formly we'll written and in general they
are elevated in tone. Out Of the whole
number not more than two are at all
sympathetic with the woman lawyer
whose case we were obliged to treat
somewhat drastically.
The subject, however, is rathei dark
ened than calculated by the attempts
of our correspondents to give expression
to views on it which will serve the general
good. That sentiment deties any exact
definition, and philosophy is wasted on It,
Temperament has very much to DO with
it. Propinquity usually furnishes the
stimulus for it. At this season when
young people are crowded in seaside
and mountain hotels and are together IN
outdoor sports it is most irresistible
Probably the great majority OF the
reciprocal confessions which produce
"eneagenents are OF summer provo
cation.
Many Of our correspondents seem to be
agitated with fears that the irregular
notions put forth by the woman lawyer
will lead young people astray; but their
alarm is needless. The sentiment OF the
great body OF the public on the subject OF
which she wrote so anarchically is sound
and irrevesible by any argument which
eccentric morbidity can put forth. II
usually normal people go wild in that
matter they know very well that they
are wrong and they do not appeal to
sophistries to make a defense for them.
They know, or they soon find out, that
they must pay painful penalty for de-
parting from the social order. That
penalty. cruel and memorable, is always
before the eyes Of civilization.
The conservatism OF society is one of
its most obvious manifestations and the
institution Of marriage is its most con-
servative feature. Even divorce itself is
an indication of respect for the institu-
ton as established by civil and ecclesi-
astical law and by the requirements of
social custom 1t is a recognition that
matrimony imposes an obligation which
cannot be thrown off except by public
consent, as expressed in laws providing
reasons and methods for dissolving the
contract.
The prevalence of divorce in this coun-
try, as to which 80 much alarm is ex
pressed from the President downward,
is rather an indication Of a sense of moral
accountability and of regard for the re-
straints of marriage than a symptom of
moral loosencss though. of course, it
proves that the sacramental obligation
of matrimony, as taught by the Roman
Catholic Church, is disregarded. An APP
plication for divorce under the civil law
expresses respect for marriage conven-
lions rather than defiance Of them. 1t
expresses a spirit Of lawfulness, not of
anarchy, of obedience and not immoral
rebellion. So far from suggesting de-
parture from social conservatism it
proves the dominance Of that conserva-
tism. It Is a tribute to the institution
which is held first in veneration by
society.
The question as to the social advisable
ity Of allowing divorce is another matter
Practically it is settled in the affirmative
in every State Of this Union, save South
Carolina, and by every Church except
the Roman Catholic. Whether divorce
be legally or enthusiastically sanctioned
for a single cause or for various causes,
the principle is the same-matrimon
is made dissoluble. And when once made
dissoluble there are reasonable argyll
ments in favor Of any cause Of dissou-
ton which defeats the purpose Of the
relation and makes it an intolerable
hardship and az a matter Of fact the
great majority of the divorces granted
in this country are to women for other
than the prime cause Of distinct and
fragrant immortality Desertion, intro
duced with Professionalism, is the most
frequent cause. Between 1887 and 1886,
the last period of which the Federal
obtained the divorce stats
tics, nearly two-thirds of the divorces
were granted to wives. and of these, two
thirds again were for reasons apart from
the prime offense against the marriage
relation. Except on the theory Of the
Roman Catholic Church that any de-
parture from the sacramento obligation
of matrimony for any cause is a step
toward the dissolution of social morals,
those statistics cannot be regarded as
indicative of moral declension.
That is, unless the Roman Catholic
view that matrimony is indissoluble as a
religious obligation shall be accepted,
the causes of divorce are likely to remain
unchanged in the American
States, even after the statistics of di-
vorces are brought up from 1855 to the
present year according to the duty now
imposed on Federal bureau. Such sta
tistics, it may be assumed, will show
results similar to those obtained in the
twenty years before, or that in America
the great preponderance Of divorces are
granted to wives for causes which do not
involve defiance Of the prime obligation
Of the personal relation of marriage.
They will prove anew the oonserva-
tism of society respecting that funda-
mental institution. Under the theory of
the woman lawyer no divorce would be
necessary: true love" would be left to