The Washington herald., 1907-03-25
DlVORCEISDEFENDED
Moral Advancement Seen in
It's Increase.
ECONOMIC LIBERTY THE CURE
Speakers at Secular League Unani-
mous in Favor of Making seDara-
tions Easier-GOOd Word Is said
Also for Race SuicIde-LOve the
Only Basis of Marriage.

Let the ceremony De ever 50 lttipiSs-
slve, # love is absent there is no true
marriage" These words by Mr.. Charles F..
Nesbit, speaker of the day, were the
basis of the addresses before the Secular
League at yesterday afternoons meet
ing. Mr.. Nesbit set forth that laws do
not make marriage. that a true mar
riage can only be founded on love, and
that marriages brought about by eco
uomic circumstances are bound to be
failures.
''The divorce courts are filed to-day
with people who have been forced into
marriage, not by motives Of love, but by
economic and social pressure he said
Economic liberty win do more for true
marriage and the sanctity OF the mar
riage relations than all the laws on the
statute books. The ivy clinging and lean
ing on the oak was an antiquated idea.
The woman of to-day should be the equal
of the man In every way.
Increase Of divorce" continued the
speaker. Instead OF being looked upon as
a menace to the people, should be looked
upon as a great moral advancement I
have great respect for the people who
cannot live together in love and have
come to the conclusion TO face social os-
tracism and get a divorce. II it were too
easy. however, to secure divorces, every
body in a fit of passion and anger would
be rushing to the courts and requesting
to have the knot undone." He advised
preachers and priests TO more fully IN
quire into the condition and fitness Of
those who intend 10 get married before
fala nfaT
this would save much trouble and lessen
the Iabors Of the courts.
Mrs. Sawyer Speaks Up.
The address being at an end. DR.. Shirley
announced that the door for discussion
and argument was open" Mrs. Sawyer.
who said she was from Kentucky, arose
and prefaced her remarks with the assur-
ance that she would not advocate mar
riage return tickets or coupons" as she
| had done last year when the theme was
under discussion, though still adhering 70
/ her views. She said she thought It was
an immoral thing for the churches 10
ask people TO live together when they
don't care to do so. She advocated that
/ whenever married couples come 10 the
conclusion that they cannot get along In
/ love and peace, they shauld be permitted
/ TO each go his own way. Mrs. Sawyer
stated further that, in her opinion. there
was too much meddiing by outsiders in
ones private affairs. and that one should
/ be allowed TO regulate ones own mar
riage relations as one saw flt- The
! speaker berated the Episcopal clergymen
/ in particular. and charged those in Ken
lucky with holding the laws Of their
church above those OF the State.
( Mr. Kitchen another speaker, advocated
that this divorce question be referred 70
the man in the White House, who's got
| the universe by the tail"
Disagrees with Roosevelt.
Mr.. Kitchen disagreed with the Presi-
dent on the question of race suicide, and
said people should pay more attention 10
quality than to quantity. He further
claimed that people who talk so much
about the divorce evil are usually those
who want to regulate other peoples busi-
ness. but who pay little attention 10 their
own.
/ Divorces ought 10 be made easy" said
/ Mr. Kitchen. Every man OF woman
should have a chance TO follow the laws
of nature, and nature viii regulate itself,
nature cannot be regulated by human
| laws The worst thing that can be done
/ is 10 rear children in an atmosphere OF
/ hatred-where there Is no love between
/ the parents. The danger lies not in the
! freedom of divorce; il is in the living to-
] gether- of those men and women who
would much rather not know each other
and live apart for the balance Of their