The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-23
THE DIVORCE QUESTION.

The divorce question is coming in for
a good deal of attention these days.
Cardinal Gibbons opened up the ques-
ton according to the rules and practice
of the Catholic church. Supreme Court
Justice Henry B. Brown, in an address
before the Maryland Bar association,
took a directly opposite view from that
advanced by the cardinal. and advo-
Gated liberality in the matter of grant
ing divorces. The cardinal has replied
to the justice with great vigor.
The multiplication of divorces" the
cardinal said, els largely ascribed by
some writer's not to our divorce laws
but to the eager and reckless manner
in which ministers Of God oficiate at
marriage services. 1 have no word Of
apology or excuse for the scandalous
conduct of some clergymen in this re-
spect But are not those persons con-
founding cause for effect? Divorces are
multiplied not because ministers will
ingly assist at ill-assorted marriages.
but because loose legislation on matri-
mony renders it easy for married par
ties to aunul the marriage bond.
If the civil laws of all our states
were as strict as they are in South
Carolina and in Canada, the persons
contemplating marriage would serious
ly and prayerfully reflect; they would
study each others disposition and tenn
permanent before entering into a con-
tract which would bind them for life.
And, certainly the peace and good or
der in the family life in South Caro-
lima and Canada can be favOTably COM
pared with the domestic conditions ex-
listing in those states where divorces
can be easily obtained"
The debate will continue and so will
the divorces unless all signs fail. One
of the signs of the times may be OBJ
served in a resolution introduced in the
British house of lords by Lord GOrell,
who. as Justice Barnes, was president
of the divorce court for years. The
avowed object of the resolution is to
make divorce easier for poor people. The
resolution proposes TO give a limited
Jurisdiction to the county courts in di-
vorce and matrimonial cases. At pres
ent, divorce in England can only be OBJ
tanned in the divorce court after an ex-
tremely expensive legal process, so that
at present only the well-to-dO can afford
the luxury. The poor can obtain from
the police court judges separation or
ders, but il has recently been decided
that this separation order acts as bar
to subsequent divorce proceedings.
So if the resolution goes through one
Of the luxuries of the people Of wealth
and fashion in England will be open to
the poorer classes. But Lord GoreWs
plan does not include giving women the
same facilities as men for obtaining re-
lief from the yoke that gals. At pres
ent a woman cannot obtain a divorce in
unless in addition to infidelity
the husband has been guilty of cruelty
while the husband has only to prove in
fidelity on the part of his wife to secure
freedom.
The committee TO whom the resolution
has been sent had added an amend
ment prohibiting the publication Of evil
dence in divorce cases. In recent years
the English press has been in the habit
Of printing verbatim reports of the most
divorce cases and permit
ting details to pass uncensored that
would never find publication in any
American paper.