The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-28
Illinois Leads the Country
 Ln Number Of DiUorces


 lation between the years 1870 to 1ss0 was accompanied by an increase of 79 per cent in the number of divorces granted. In the next decade, 1880 to 1880, the population increased 25 per cent and divorces 70 per cent, and in the following decade, 1890 to 1900, an increase of 2l per cent in population was accompanied by an increase of 6s per cent in the number of divorces. Tn the six years from 1900 to 1908, population. as estimated. increased 10.5 per cent and divorces 29.3 per cent.
 It thus appears that at the end of the forty.year period divorces were | increasing about three times as fast as l population, while in the first decade | (is70 to 1s00), they increased only about two and two-thirds as fast. The divorce rate per 10000 populao l ton. increased from, % In 1870 to S2 l in 1905. Tn the former year there was one divorce for every 3,441 per- sons and in the latter year one for , every 1,21s. Since it is only married people who can become divorced, more significant divorce rate Is that | which is based not upon total popu- iation, but upon the total married pop ulation. The rate per 100000 married population was S1 in the year 1870
 
 parison indicates that divorce is at | present two and one-half times as common, compared with married pop ulation, ae 1t was forty years ago. A | divorce rate of 200 per 100000 mar ried population is equivalent to two l per 1000 married population. Assum- ing that 1000 married people repre- sent 800 married couples. 1t follows that in each year four married couples -N | This does not mean that only four marriages out of 1000 are terminated by divorce. The rate, 1t will be noted. is an annual rate, continuously oper- ative. and comes far short of measur- ing the probability of ultimate divorce. The available data Indicate however. that not less than one marriage in twelve is ultimately terminated by d. voree.
 higher in the United States than in any of the foreign countries for which statistics relating to this subject have been obtained.
 Two-thirds of the total number of divorces granted in the twenty-year period covered by this investigation were granted to the wife.
 Without any reference to the ques- ton of which party is the more fre-
 
 unhappiness that leads to divorce, it may be said that the wife has a legal ground for divorce more frequently than the husband; that is to say there are certain well recognised and com paratively common grounds that are more readily applicable as against the husband than as against the wife No tably there is neglect to provide" or non-support which, for the husband seeking divorce. Is hardly an available ground, although the present investi- gatlon found six cases in the State of Utah. in which the husband obtained a divorce on that ground. Cruelty, al- though not infrequentiy the ground for divorces granted to husbands, Is more generally existent as a cause for the wife's seeking a divorce. Five .divorces for. cruelty are granted to the wife for every one granted to the husband.
 Causes of Divorce.
 The most common single ground for divorce Is desertion. This accounts for 3ss per cent of all divorces (period 1887 to 1906); 49.4 per cent. or almost one-half of those granted to the hus- band and 3a6 per cent, or one-thIrd, of those granted to the wife.
 The next most important ground of divorce is, for husbands, adultery. and for swives. cruelty. Of the divorces granted to husbands (S8s7 to is0el 2s.s per cent were for adultery; and of those granted to wives 2f.5 per cent were for cruelty. Only 10 per cent of the divorees granted to wives were for adultery of the husband. and 1O.5 per cent of divorees granted to husbands were for cruelty on the part of the wife.
 Drunkenness was the ground for di- vorce in S.s per cent Of the cases in which the wife brought suit. and in II per cent of the cases in which the suit was brought by the husband
 The above per centages represent those cases in which the specified cause was the sole ground on which the divorce was granted Very ire quently however. divorees are granted not upon one ground only. but upon two or more in combination.