The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-12-03
THE DIVORCE EVIL.
Onthe theIncrease-DesertionC Com
monest Cause-AmericaSeems
to Hold the Worlds Record.
Washington Dispatch, Nov. 27.

The divorce rate appears to be
much higher in the United States
than in any of the foreign coun-
tries for which statistics relat-
ing to the subject have been OBJ
tanned, not less than one mar
riage in twelve in this country
ultimately terminating in di-
vorce. This fact has been ascer-
tanned by the census which has
just completed a compilation of
statistics of marriage and divorce
covering the twenty years from
1887 to 1906 inclusive. Similar
statistics for the previous twenty
years were gathered some years
ago.
The figures show that at the
end of the forty-year period di-
vorces were increasing about
three times as fast as the popu-
Iation, while in the first decade
Of the period they increased only
about two and two thirds as fast.
In the six years from 1900 to
1906 population increased 10 per
cent. and divorces 29.3 per cent.
The divorce rate increased per
100, 900 Of population from % in
1870 to 80 in 1905, there being
one divorce for every 3,441 per-
sons in the former year while in
the latter there was one for
every 1,218 persons.
| During the twenty years from
1887 to 1906 the total number of
recorded marriages was II, ,832,-
044, while the number of di-
vorces granted during this pc
riod was 945, ,625. For the pre-
vious twenty years the number
Of divorces was 1913, 716. At the
beginning of the forty-year pc
riod divorces occurred at the
rate of 10000 year, while at
| the end Of the period the annual
number was about Sc, 600.
A more significant divorce rate
is that which is based, not on
total population, but on the tota.
married population, since it is
only married people who can be.
come divorced. These statistics
show that in 1870 the divorce
rate per 100000 married popu.
lation was 81 while in 1900 il
was 200. This shows that di
vorce is at present two and {
half times as common, compared
with the married population, as
it was forty years ago.
Only two States in the Union
according to the statistics, show
a decrease in the divorce rate
between the years 1880 and 1900
These are Utah and Connecticut.
In the former the rate dropped
per 100000 of population from
ia in 1880 to 92 in 1900, while
in Connecticut it dropped from
II to SO.
Six cases were discovered II
which the husband obtained {
divorce from his wife on the
ground of neglect to provide ,
Two-thirds Of the total mum
ber of divorces granted in the
twenty years covered by the in
, vestigation were granted to the
wife. Desertion is shown to b.
the most common cause of di
vorce, $500 per cent. of the tota
being for this cause, almost hal
of the cases in which the di
5, vorce was granted to the hus
band being for this cause, Will
about one-third of these granite
: to the wife for the same cause
Of divorces granted to husband
\ 1913 per cent. were for adultery
while only 10 per cent. Of thos
- granted to wives were for thi
cause. More than one-fourth 0
the divorces to wives were fo
cruelty and about 10 per cent. Q
those to husbands.
Drunkenness was the groun
for divorce in about 5 per cen
of the cases in which the VIII
brought suit and in about l pc
cent. of those in which the hui
band brought suit.
Only Is per cent. of the d
vorces were returned as contes
ed. Alimony was demanded
18 per cent. of the divorce
granted to the wife and granite
in 1877 per cent. The proportit
!, of husbands who asked f
', alimony was 2.8 per cent. al
~ 2 per cent. obtained it.
The average duration of ms
riages terminated by divorce
about ten years, so per cent.
them being less than ten yea
The number of years from m;
. riages to separation was asc'
tained in the cases of TITO, {
divorce couples. Of these 9
~ 460 or 1873 per cent. separat
in the first year of married Ii
and 14.2 per cent. in the secC
year. The surprising fact v
revealed that 81 per cent. of
total number of separated {
became divorced after more tt
m 25 years of married life.
M Children were reported
~ 1913 per cent. of the total nj
ber of divorced cases, child
being present in 46.8 per &C
Of the cases granted to the w
and in 26 per cent. of tn
granted to the husband.