Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-01-14


by year was by no means uniform.
the marriage rate being quickly re-
sronsive TO changes t.. economic con
dition. A small increase shown for
! 1893 and an actual decrease In the
succeeding year reflect the influence
Of the panic of 1892, and normal con-
ditlons do not appear to have been re-
stored In the matrimonial mrakct un-
I'll the year 1892
1t Is computed that If the average
annual increase in marriages during
the five years ending with 1892 had
continued for tho next six years, tho
! aggregate number OF marriages COM
tracted during the latter period would
have been greater than It was by 259-
/ S13. II is to be presumed that O. con-
J siderable numbSr OF persons In this
large total never contracted marriage.
This suggests a loss to the commun-
ity heretofore little considered in con-
nection with periods of financial de-
preston.
The marriage rate in the United
states In tn. year 1900 was % p"r
10000 population. Based upon the
adult unmarried population. the ratio
becomes 1921 per 10000 Indicating that
in each year something over per
cent. OF the unmarried adult popula-
ton marry. The marriage rate basel
on the total population is higher in
the United states than IN any othor
country for which reliable statistics
are available. But taking thc marriage
able population as the basis--that Is,
/ tho population which Is of marriage
able age but not narried-the rate
IN the United States is not as high as
1t is in Hungary. is about the same "a
II is in Saxony, but IS still higher
| than in any OF the other countries in
cluded in the comparison.
! The number Of divorces reported for
the twenty years, reached the enorm-
GUS total Of 945.625. For the earlier
/ Investigation. covering the twenty
years, 1867 to 1856. inclusive. the num-
her reported was 32s.716, or hardly
more than one-thrd rot the number
recorded in the second twenty years.
At the beginning of the forty-ve
| period. covered by the two investiga-
tions. divorces occurred at the rate Of
l o.. 400 a year; at the end Of that period
This increase. however. must be con-
sldered in connection with increase in
population.
An increa Sc of 80 per cent in popu-
lation between the years Of 1870 to
1850 was accompanied by an increas sc
of 20 per cent. in the number Of d.
vorces granted. In the next decade.
1850 to 1890. the population increased
% per cent. and divorces 20 per cent.
ard in the following decade. 1890 to
| 1900. an increase of 81 per cent. In
population was accompanied by an in
crease of 66 per cent in the numb er
| OF divorces. In the six years from
1900 to 9os population, as estimated.
Increased 1913 per cent. and divorces
29.s per cent.
1t thus appears that OF the end If
the forty-ycar period divorces were
increasing about three times as fast
as population, while from 1870 to 1850
| they increased only about two and
two-t thirds as fast.
The divorce rate per 100000 popula-
stored in the matrimonial market un-
IN 1908. In the former year there was
! divorce for every 3,4il persons and
in the latter year for every 1,2lS.
ton was 81 in the year 1870 and 200
IN the year 1900. This comparison IN
dicates that divorce is at present two
and ouc-half times as common. com,
pared with married population. as IT
was forty years ago.
Divorce rates appear to be much
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 twcntyye
period covered by this investigation
were granted to the wife
| without any reference to the Ques-
ton of which party Is tho more fire.
qucntly responsible for the marital
unhappiness that leads to divorce, IT
! may be said that the wife has legal
ground for divorce more frequently
than the husband; that is to say. there
are certain wcll-recosnized and com
paratively common grounds that are
more readily applicable as against
tho husband than as against the wife.
Notably there is neglect to provide"
o. non-support. which, for tho hus-
band seeking divorce, is hardly an
available ground, although the pres
ent Investigation found cases in the
state OF Utah. In which the husband
obtained divorce on that ground.
Cruelty, although not infrequently the
ground for divorces granted to hus-
| bands, Is more generally existent as
a cause for the wlfes seeking d.
vorce. Five divorces for cruelty are