The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-03-17
Some Figures That Shows The
Growth of the Evil in
THE UNITED STATES.
South caroliga Stands Alone as the
Only State Ia the Union that Does
Not Allow Divoces Among Her
People. and She rs Proud

SOME SCarGlinR ngureS nave recently
been published In reference to the
prevalence Of crime in this country
One Of the leading magazines printed
some Statistical tables showing The
number OF murders and homicides IL
the United States from year to wear
They increased from 1895 In 1881 t
10, 862 in 1896. The nuu ber of thi.
class Of horrible crimes was nearly
nine times as large in 1896 as it va
fifteen years before TIere had beer
a steady increase ear by year. Sine,
then there has been small decrease
There we're 8,976 hcmicides in 1903
seven times as many as twenty yearl
ago.
With the Increase In the number o.
murders there has been correspond
Ing increase In the number OF suicides
in this country. III 1881, there were
only 605 suicide: in 1903 there wer.
8,597-more than fourteen times a:
many. Every year, with only two OF
three exceptions, the number has beer
greater than the year before
There has beeL a similar increase ir
the number Of divorces. Before the
OWL War the number Of divorces was
very small. A divorce case vas the
occasion for columns in the secular
papers. In some of the States there
was no provision for divorce. In others
1t could be obtained only by applica
tion TO the Legislature. But lax laws
have been enaci ed, and this evil has
been fostered until now there are pro.
badly twenty or thirty Thousand d.
vorces granted e!ery year; that many
families destroyed; that many homes
ruined, under the forms of law every
year, in this country.
During tho thirty-two years from
1859 to 1901 less than three hundred
divorces we're granted in the Domin.
lon OF Canada. During the same
period, nearly seven hundred Thousand
divorces we're granted In the United
States. The population Of tho United
States is about fifteen times as great
as that OF Canada, but the number o1
divorces has been not fifteen times as
large, nor hundred times as large
but more than two Thousand times as
large In the United States as in Can
adai Two Thousand times as many
families have been destroyed by thi.
evil, two thousand times as many
children deprived Of the comforts ant
blessings OF home, in cur country
as In the sister nation on the North.
The evil has been rapidly increasing
for generation, more rapidly in the
Northern than in the Southern State.
but at rate that gives grave cause
for apprehension. There Is not ONT
OF the Southern States, with the ex
ception Of Virginia and North ant
South Carolina, but grants more di
vorces every year than Lngland anc
Wales united with their thirty thre.
million populations; and in the North
ern States, Michigan furnishes siy
times as many, Ohio eight times a.
many, and Indiana ten times as many
divorces in any given period as Eng
land and Wales combined.
The increase In a few of the State!
has been as follows: The number o.
divorces granite d, increased in
New Hampshire from 1876 in 1857 tt
435 in 1899.
Ohio from col in 1867 to 3,217 ir
/19O1.
Indiana from 1,o9e in 1867 to 4, 6el
In 1900.
Pennsylvania from SIS in 1857 te
1850 in 1886
Illinois flum ] ,O71 in 1857 10 2, 6Ot
in 1885.
Alabama from 7s in 1867 to 6e2 in
1885.
Arkansas from 121 in 1867 to ole in
1885.
Ken ntucky from 292 in 1867 to 757
in 1855.
Mississippi from 40 In 1867 to 504
in 1885.
North Carolina from 2l III 1857 to
1873 in 1886
Tennessee from 2s7 in 1867 to sol
in 1886.
Texas from 81 in 1857 to l ,326 In
1885.
Virginia from 90 in 1857 10 23s in
1885.
In eight States reporting statistics,
the proportion If divorces to marriage
in 1902 Wes SO follows:
In Massachusetts l divorce to 10
marriages.
Michigan divorce to IL marri
ages.
Vermont divorce to 10 MARI.
ages.
olliO ultOlCC W o o marriages.
New Hampshire l div,rce 10 8 3
arriagos
Rhode Island divorce to marri.
eB.
Indiana divorce to 10 marriages
Maine divorce to 6 marriages
In these States there has been a
rapid increase In the number OF di.
vorces du,ing the decade, and this
is probably true Of the country at
large.
South Carolina is the only State
that does not allow divorces. She
has no divorce law, and will net allow
them for any cause.
Such are some Of the facts In refel
ence to the condition OF our country
"a fearful prevalence OF murder,
suicides and divorces-and an In.
crease from year to year in the mum
Der Of each which, II not checked,
will be ruinous in It's effects. The
remedy will come when the conscien.
ces Of the people are aroused, and a
public sentiment Is created that will
make and enforce better laws than we
now have. There are about twenty
five different grounds upon which a
divorce is granted In one or another
ofathe States. In forty eight out Of
the fifty one States and Territories