Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1908-02-07
nARRIAoE AS A FAILURE.


ed in Baltimore last year to every Is
marriages says the Baltimore sun, is
the startling conclusion Of Mr.. Allan
c. Girdwood, one of the city delegates,
who in an effort to stem the tide of d.
vorce has presented a bill providing for
the appearance of a State officer at
every divorce case.
Delegate Girdwood, who says his
bill would not only cause a decrease in
the number of divorces granted, but
will insure that adequate cause is
shown for every separation allowed,
based his statement of the ratio Of
marriage and divorce in Baltimore in
1907 from figures furnished by the
Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas
and records of divorce cases tried in
Circuit Courts Nos. l and 2.
According to the figures collected,
which have been verified, 1919 divorces
were granted by Circuit Court No. /,
and 397 by Circuit Cont No.2-a total
of 776-in 1856 days. The number of
marriages that took place during the
same period was 577s. These figures
compared mean that on every day 2
divorces were allowed and IL mar
riages took place.
While he says that the divorce evil
is principally restricted to the city, Mr..
GirdwoOd has received from the clerks
of each county the following list Of
divorces granted in the counties last
year;
Allegany, 50; Anne Arundel, 50;
Baltimore, A; Calvert, 6; Caroline, 5;
Carroll, u; Cecil, Il; Charles, 1; Dor
chester, 10; Frederick, 80; Carrot, IL;
Hartford, 10; Howard, 8; Kent, s;
Montgomery, 90; Prince Georges, 10;
Queen Anne's, 6; st. Mary's, 1; Tai
bolt, s.; Somerset, 4; Washington, %;
Wicomico, II; Worcester, 10.
This compilation would indicate that
in Charles and st. Mary's counties the
greatest domestic felicity reigned,
since only one divorce was granted in
each. Howard county is close sec
ond, however, only three divorces hav-
ing been allowed. Somerset and Car
Oline come next, having, respectively,
and 8 divorces recorded. Calvert
and Queen Anne's counties were even,
each having allowed six dissatisfied
couples to separate. Mr.. Girdwood
said that the county figures show that
the number of divorces as compared
to the total population was very much
lower than in Baltimore, where one
divorce is calculated to have been
granted for every 1856 inhabitants.
The principal recommendations of
Mr.. Girdwood's bill are the public tax
ing of testimony in divorce cases and
the provision for the presence of a
proctor at each proceeding to repre-
sent the State. which is claimed to be
the sufferer in case Of separation
being granted because of the uncertain
condition in which the children, if any,
are left.
By having the testimony given in a
public court and having a representa-
tive of the State participate in the
case, Mr.. Girdwood believes that those
applying for divorce will be impressed
by the solemnity of the proceedings
aud that many fraudulent applications
which no claims have been granted
will be refused.
''In New York, where the State Off
Ger has taken part in the divorce
cases." said Mr.. GirdwOod, "the per-
centase of divorces has been cut down
tremendously"
Mr.. Girdwood declares that the
present method of granting divorces
here is loose and allows men and wo-
men who grow tired of each other to
conspire to get a divorce. "Either
one or the other" he said, "arranges
to be discovered in compromising
situation, and then by going for laySH
yer and having testimony recorded t, 8
divorce is often granted. As result
of the present system lawyers may Oh
tain divorces for couples most readily
on any pretext if some obliging wit
ness can be obtained who will give the
necessary evidence"