The Washington herald., 1908-06-24
observation-disclosures
Wife of Candidate Would
Check National Evil.
PLEADS FOR A UNIFORM LAW
while She Does Not Oppose Club
Work, the Woman Who May BE
First Lady of the Land Thinks
Woman's sphere Is the HOme-Is
for More Stringent Legislation.

New York. June 23.-The greatest peril
that confronts the country to-day. in the
opinion Of Mrs. William Howard Taft.
the wife Of the Republican candidate for
President, Is the situation arising from
the laxity Of the divorce laws and the
countenancing Of divorce by the highest
social circles. Mrs. Taft expressed her
views on this subject very f6rcibly in an
interview to-day. She said:
IF It were in my power. divorce would
be stopped entirely There are cases. OF
course, where separation might be grant
Ell. but there should be no remarriage al
lowed. The laxity OF our divorce laws is
a menace to the very moral fiber Of our
nation. II is an appalling evil. and II
seems TO be on the Increase instead OF
diminishing.
7 remember the time when one read OF
persons one never knew who obtained
divorces. but now every one comes in con-
tact with divorced people-in every class
Of society-one's own personal friends on
every hand. It is countenanced by the
so-called highest social circles. and it is
made light Of and a woman in many in
stances. is received with as much favor
after she is divorced as she was before.
Conditions Are Shocking.
Such conditions are shocking and are
most demorallzing. Wherever and when
ever could do anything to influence leg
islators 20 make more stringent divorce
laws I would do it, and I believe that
every woman in America should feel the
same way.
ITO begin with. II divorces are TO be
granted at all. there should be a uni
form divorce law for all the States-for
the nation-and then there would be no
opportunity to evade it. as is being done
at the present time.
1T Is getting TO be a matter of such
indifference to people that many per-
sons marry with the thought in mind
that they can easily slip ont of the matri-
monial knot. be freed from the bondage.
so to speak. and in no way lose any social
prestige by such a step. When a cOun-
tTys peoDle-even a small percentage Of
them-gS into the most sacred relations
in life with such a thought as anticipated
divorce, then there is grave danger ahead
for the home and for the nation.
Big Navy of No Avail.
I'VE might build up the greatest navy
in the world we might have the good
will Of every ruler OF the earth; we might
have a credit and commerce unparalleled
in the history of nations but when within
the homes Of our country there is moral
laxity and family ties can be broken up
in a twinkling, through a process of law
that is looked upon as a matter Of course
just as one would file a will or a deed
then there is a greater danger 10 our
country than could come from a war with
a foreign nation.
Mrs. Taft is a thorough believer ia the
doctrine that the home is womans sphere.
Although she believes that every woman
should be able TO discuss with her hus-
band the public affairs in which he may
be interested, she holds that woman
should not meddle actively with politics.
She is not opposed to women's clubs, and
does not share the opinion of some that
these are menace to home life, but she
herself finds no need for club life; her
home and social duties occupy all her
time. She does not believe that a woman
should choose a business life If she wants
to fulfill her greatest usefulness and hap
piness
"A happy marriage" Mrs. Taft said,
rs the most complete and useful life for
any woman"