The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1907-07-10
MARRIAGE VOWS
socioLooisT SAYS WOMEN ARE
ELEVATED BY DIVORCE.
ECONOMIC HANDICAP TO WE'D
Professor Phillips Says Some Things
About Marital Obligations That
That May Set the Old World
Thinking.

growth of the modern family'S struggle
for freedom, and the fact that mar
| riage today is an economic drawback.
THE restriction of divorce by law
does little but make divorce more ex-
pensive. and hence a luxury of the
rich.
"Restriction of remarriage is an un
wise measure. 1t Is an incentive to
| immortality.
Divorces are not sought for the
purpose of remarriage in any such de
gree as is popularity supposed.
1.-The retriction of marriage is bad
for the morals of the community.
"Commonlaw marriage afford L
limitless field for adventuresses.
Divorce. in SO far as its increase
grants greater freedom to women,
means her elevation.
at is unlikely that the increase of
divorce will seriously menace the fam
| lily as an institution"
Boulder, Colo.-Dr. John b, Phillips,
professor of sociology and economics
at the University of Colorado, treats
Of some new phases OF the divorce
problem in the last volume of the
university of Colorado" studies, in an
article entitled THE Increase in Di-
vorce." According to DIR. Phillips the
the modern family's struggle for free
dom, and the fact that marriage todaJ
is an economic drawback.
DR.. Phillips says: "The modern fam
| lily has shared fully in the nineteenth
century struggle for freedom. and to-
| day is a sort of free government. The
absolute power of the father Is gone;
the children are no longer ruled by the
rod, nor can the husband interfere with
The wife's right in her property. AS IL
| result of this 1t is probably true that
| American children are less respectful
to their parents than are the European
children. This is because the Euro
pear boy is brought up TO follow the
business OF his father, while the Amer
lean boy is taught that his fathcr'
trade is not good enough for him. and
hence is not apt to think his father
great man. Thus the glory of the
American national life that the chill
dren are filed with the ambition to rise
higher than their fathers comes at tha
expense of that respect accorded to pa
tents by children who are taught not
/ to try TO rise above the level attained
by their father.
THE various industrial opportunities
opened to women since the invention
OF machinery has made them less de-
pendent and advanced the age of mar
riage. The effect of this is a diminu-
ton in the marriage rate of nearly al
the countries in which statistics are
available. ~
Economic Drawback.
| Probably the greatest reason for
the decline In the Importance of the
family is that marriage is an economic
drawback. AS rule it multiplies a
bachelors expenses of living nearly
threefold, and from purely finan-
| cial stanpoint n young man on
Il small salary is worse off after
marrying. The current matrimo-
MAI ideal intensifies the eco
nom.c disadvantages Of marriage,
which is that the home means a ser
want, and leisure for the wife to de-
vote herself to more or less elaborate
social functions.
Divorces are the more numerous in
| the newer countries. The eastern and
southern states are conservative and
grant few divorces, while the western
states grant them mainly for desertion,
cruelty or adultery. One of the defects
oc the law is that it doesn't define cru
city. All sorts of definitions have been
allowed by the courts.
Restriction of remarrtage is an I'M
wise measure. 1t is an incentive to i'm
morality. Nor does II affect the cause,
as divorces probably are not sought
for the purpose of remarriage in any
ouch degree as is popularity supposed.
1.-The third suggested remedy, the
restriction of marriages. is bad for the
morals of the community, though GER
| tain mild restrictions might aid NOR
ally. A marriage ceremony should be
surrounded with a certain amount of
Formally, for this tends to prevent
haste and recklessness. The oppor-
tunity to marry secretly is not good
for the public or the parties con
cerned. Neither is the common law
marriage, as 1t affords imitless OPP
portunity for adventuresses.
There are some measures that will.
perhaps, in the long run, tend to
lessen the number of divorces. Vi
these one is the growth OF the ro-
mantle ideal. by tnlS is meant tHdt
each person be free to follow his own
inclinations in the selection of hus-
band and wife marriage in dem
ocratic society is apt to last longer II
| the parties are allowed full freedom
in their choice.
Divorce. in so far as its increase
grants greater freedom to women,
means here elevation. 1t is part of
the movement that has granted to
women the right to live on higher
plane than was possible in the early
days. In no other country is woman
so much respected as in the United
States, and 1t may be that this respect
is in part due to the privilege our
women enjoy to be divorced from the
husband who will make their lives
unhappy. 1t is unlikely hat the in
crease Of divorce will seriously menace
the family as an institution. After we
have passed the transition period of
liberty and our society has become
more settled, divorce probably will
cease to increase. but it seems hardly
probable that modern society will re-
vert to condition when divorce is
granted for but one cause
Tit for Tat