The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-24
A SATURDAY SERMON.

"A SATURDAY SEllIMON.
What therefore God has Joined together.
let not man put asunder. st. Matthew
xix6.
This is the law of the Lord in re-
gard to marital relations as it was
laid down by Christ to the Pharisees
after he had departed from Galilee and
went into the coasts of Judea. He
made just one exception to it and that
permits a man or woman to put aside
wife or husband if either he or she
has been guilty of infidelity.
But there are probably few of the
precepts and admonitions of the Lord
in the laying down of a moral code,
by which most of the civilized people
of the world have seen fit to govern
themselves during many centuries,
that are so utterly disregarded by the
people. and of this country in particu-
lar, in this day of grace, as this one.
And it is disregarded by them in a
great measure because of laxity of the
laws of the land, or of most of the
states in this country, on the subject
of divorce.
Divorce, steadily increasing as it is
with rapid strides all over the coun-
try, is one of the crying evils of this
nation. Some sociologists go so far as
to state that it is the worst evil, the
most cankerous growth, that is gnaw-
ing at the vitals of this great country.
And these contentious are made with
good reason. 1t tears down the fabric
of the home which is the great bui-
wark of any nations civilization. 1t
works untold injuries on countless in
nocent children who are forced to grow
/ IL ~ f--I,t
their very lives. Its disastrous ramifi-
cations are extensive in numberless di-
rections which are so well known that
it is unnecessary to enumerate them
| in this detail
And among the states whose weak
and flimsy laws on the subject of di-
vorce are encouraging the people to
disregard their marriage vows is Kan
sas-Kansas that has grown glorious
in many ways, Kansas that has so ma
terially increased the welfare and
prosperity of her people through the
| enactment and enforcement of a law
prohibiting the sale of liquors within
her confines. Kansas who likes to
claim a front rank among the states
for the high morality of her people,
The laws of this state, or the pro-
visions of the law regulating divorce,
are a travesty on moral justice, an
affront to decency. For almost any
trivial reason under the sun a person
who has lived in the state for a re-
quired period of time can secure a di-
vorce. That advantage is taken of
this tissuey statute by the frivolously
inclined and by others who would
probably hesitate at asking for a di-
vorce if they did not know it could be
| secured so easily, is made evident by a
perusal of the court calendars through
out the state. They are filled with
! divorce cases, and none more SO than
the one right at home here in the
district court of Shawnee county The
number of divorces that have been
granted in the local court during its
present term are enough to set the
| average person thinking that some
thing should be done to remedy the
alarming situation which has devel-
oped.
Few states have such a drastic law
as New York, where no absolute d.
vorce can be secured unless one can
prove the infidelity of the other. Nei-
Their non-support nor desertion, two of
the favorite excuses for divorces in
this state, are good and sufficient rea-
sons. Husbands can be made under
| proper laws to support their wives and
deserving husbands can be brought
back to assume the responsibilities or
go to Jail. And divorces because of
petty quarrels, called incompatibility
Of temper, should never be tolerated.
Divorces for all sorts of trivial rea-
sons such as are admissible under the
laws of Kansas where either or more
generally. both parties to them are
permitted to marry within an all too
short a time, should not be permitted
in civilized community. One of Kan
sas' greatest needs is a more stringent
and drastic divorce law. Many other
states need it quite badly and some
states need it worse And all the
states need a uniformity in their di-
vorce laws. These needs will be met
sooner or later and the sooner the
better for this country's continued sta
bility and the future of its rising gen.