Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-31
DIVORCE IS THEME
OF OBERMER PLAY
HOUSE OF BONDAGE TOUCHES
VITAL PROBLEMS
Miss Florence Roberts Appears in
Drama RepIete with Thrilling In
terest of Character, Incl
dent and Plot

1t is quite natural that the turbu-
lent demonstrations of England's suf-
fragettes, which has of late interested
and astonished the world, should, be
followed by a renewal in parliament of
the agitation for amendatory divorce
laws giving women equal conjugal
rights with men. While opinions may
differ as to woman suffrage, there is
not civilized country where it is not
generally admitted that the English
divorce law is outrageous. Yet in par
lament the movement has for years
struggled without success in attaining
remedial legislation.
Divorce is a theme which from the
very inception of the Mosaic law has
engendered radicalism and embittered
differences among lawmakers. Even
today it is approached from such vary
ing points of view by legislators that
nearly any man can obtain an absolute
divorce if he cares to change his resi-
dence to suit the facts under which he
thinks himself aggrieved. The Biblical
command contained in the precept of
Matthew that Whom God has joined
together let no man put asunder'' is
not recognized in the law of any land,
and only among the Roman Catholics
and Episcopalians is it thoroughly re-
spected as morally mandatory.
Better Law in America
Women of this country have an equal
opportunity with their husbands in the
laws of divorce, despite the varied
causes Of the states, but in England it
is different. There a male spouse may
so to court with evidence of his wife's
inf1delity and obtain an absolute de-
cree, with all the privileges of remar-
riage or liberty that it entails; but not
leo fIo l.,
prove infidelity, but either physical
cruelty or desertion in addition. Her
husband may be ever so lax as to his
marriage vows, but unless he displays
the brute and deliberately beats her, or
is the cad and leaves her without sup
port, she has no redress in law. She
must meet him over the melon in the
morning, or the consomme in the even
ing; accept, perhaps, his verbal taunts,
insults and defiance, and, while he may
go to court if she errs, she in return is
powerless This injustice has been the
source of Spasmodic violent agitation in
the British parliament for years, but
not yet has a majority been secured for
its remedy, a fact which justifies the
American conviction that we, at least,
as nation, are trifle more gallant
than our cousins across the Atlantic
pond in our attitude toward the fairer
sex.
There is probably a general belief
throughout the civilized globe that
there should be a uniform law govern
ing the marital relations, but men dis
agree so widely in regard to its Just
scope that there is little hope that, even
in this country, a constitutional amend
ment could be passed that would bring
about such a result. The differences of
mankind on this subject date back to
that Mosaic law which, translated, reads
as follows: when man has taken a
wife and it comes to pass that she finds
no favor in his eyes because he has
seen in her some uncIeanness, then let
him write a bill of enforcement and
give it in her hands and send her out of
his house"
Variance of Laws
In pre-Christian times the precise i'm
port of this language was sharply con-
tested, some giving it a general mean
ing and holding that a man might di-
vorce his wife for the most trivial
cause. Others held that such a phrase
could mean only one thing. Thus, in
the first instance, the early Romans
divorced their wives for such causes as
feasting with strangers ''frequenting
the theaters without the husbands con-
sent" or 'counterfeiting the husbands
keys" Among the other most forward
nations of ancient times the Greeks
had little regard for women'S rights.
despite their Wanted progress. When
they were most progressive in the arts.
literature and other evidences of Gull
ture they bought and sold their wives.
Until very recent years many coun-
tries gave the husband paramount