The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-07
A SATURDAY SERMON.
THE CASE OF ARTIST EARL,

What therefore God hath Joined to-
thew 1876.
One of the things that make decent
man blush for his race and ashamed of
his sex is this Earle tragedy in New
York. For tragedy it is in spite of the
forced cheerfulness of the rejected wife.
1t means murdered joys. the destruction
of home, and the end OF a woman's
hopes-all for the caprice of the man
who had sworn to love. cherish and pro-
tect her as long as both should live. Is
such a man worthy of anything but con-
tempt?
1t is high time. not only that the d.
vorce laws of the country were renovat-
ed. but also that popular ideas of mar
riage were fumigated and purified. 1t
will be sad day for the human race if
men ever allow the acts of such crea-
lures Millionaire Ferdinand P. Earle
and that other millionaire, William
Ellis Corey. to go unrebuked. When
men-or women either. for one sex is no
more culpable than the other. as whole
-wantonly disregard their marriage
vows, they deserve the severest censure
of their fellows; they merit only con-
tempt and condemnation.
1t sometimes happens that H:atrimon-
ial mistakes are made People are mis-
mated, one or the other displays an I'M
governed temper or unbearable habits,
making separations necessary for peace
and happiness. But such things should
be carefully guarded against before the
fatal step is taken. In extreme cases,
divorces are justifable. but there are
entirely too many of them Many people
in these latter days are disposed to treat
marriage entirely too lightly. as some
thing that they can abandon II they do
not happen to like it. For many men-
and women, too-get married with the
idea that II they do not happen to like
their matrimonial partner, they can get
a new one, as they would a new servant.
In the case of Earle there is no pre-
tense that any blame lies with the wife
whom he has discarded. Four years ago
he brought her home, happy bride. He
had won her love, and had promised al
ways to love her in return. She bore
him a child-a bright boy. Yet now,
after only four years, he has transferred
his love to a new fnamorata, he has
sent his discarded wife and their boy
back to her fathers house, and has per-
suaded her to seek q divorce so as to
leave Kim free to marry this new love
without bringing on him the punishment
Of the law.
1t matters not that pride compels the
suffering wife to appear to acquiesce in
this arrangement, forced upon her by
the artistic temperament" of the al
legged man who ought to comfort and
protect her. Her tears and demeanor
when the final parting came belied her
apparent acquiesceuce in the separation.
iS a
man and a patriot beside a contemplate
creature like this Artist Earle. For the
Mormon, while bringing home wife No.
3 does not shut No. 1 out Of his heart
and his home. Many a bigamist who
goes to the pe1itentlary for breaking
the law, is less of transgressor in re-
atty than such alleged men as Corey
and Earle; for some bigamists do not
cause any great amount of anguish and
eart-breaking sorrow, and 1t is only
the restraint of the laws hand that
keeps such creatures as these two from
becoming bigamists.
Hiding behind the plea of an Artistic
Temperament that has just found its
Souls Affinity, Ferdinand P. Earle dis
plays a bestial disposition to switch his
supposed affections. 1t is to prevent
such creatures from indulging their I'M
stable desires that more stringent d.
vorce laws are needed.
It is encouraging that the people as
whole disapprove OF such actions, and
this disapprobation, combined with the
publicity given it by the press. will do
much to check such tendency among
others who may happen to be afflicted
with an Artistic Temperament that
causes the possessor to be false to his
| OF her marriage vows.