The Washington herald., 1909-02-07
DIVORCES IN THIS COUNTRY
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

much the same in the United States to-
day. except that the law requires that
some specific charge be brought By the
one seeking the separation The reasons
run a wide range. trivial and grave. from
the solemn enactment Of Tennessee's leg
islatGre that a man may divorce his wife
II she refuses 10 live in the State with
him, 70 New York's absolute divorce which
IS granted only on statutory grounds
Even as the state OF South Carolina re-
qUires no marriage license and keeps no
record Of marriages. so It grants no d.
=erces
OF al the reasons given for divorce.
the most common Is .desertiOn. In the Pc
riod between 1857 and 1856. Sss Per cent Of
the divorces given were on these grounds
One-half the divorces asked by the hus-
band, and one-third Of those BY the wife.
were for desertion- Cruelty has provoked
an increase OF 2Ss per cent in the twenty
year period that this unique census Gov
ers. five divorces being given woman on
these grounds to one given man
\ great argument for prohibition IS
found in the figures that stand for d.
vorce granted on the grounds OF intem-
persnce. In the period covered by the re-
port there were 36.5l5 divorces granted
with drunkenness as the one and sole Tes-
SON Drunkenness, Directly OF indirect
u, was responsible for one-fourth Of the
divorces given women in the time named
IN combination with other causes drunk
enness figures in a great per cent Of d.
vorces. snd in about one-sixth Of these
cases the husband has brought suit
against the wife.
Among the reasons that are common 20
both men and women IN their suits for
divorce the violation of the seventh COM
mandment is the only one in which the
number granted to the husband exceeds
the number granted 70 the wife In his
report on this question the director %
the census points out the fact that while
this sin is condoned in man. it is rarely
: forgiven in woman. and the difference in
F the figures may be accounted for. Public
opinion IS too severe on the woman who
+ sins. American laws are better on this
/ score than those OF England. For while
! the English husband may secure divorce
on the ground OF mere proof Of his wife's
guilt the wife who seeks divorce must
also prove cruelty in addition 10 the
graver cause IN the United States the
/ law is the same for both man and woman.
I A glance az the widely varying divorce
( laws that grace the statute books OF the
American Commonvealths viii show that
( the wife has legal grounds for divorce
more frequently than the husband has
The public sentiment that created these
laws decrees that the husband Is re-
( sponsibIe for the support and protection
Of his wife Failure to provide a living
for the wife gives her suitable grounds
for divorce. The present census. however.
developed the interesting fact that in the
twenty-year period six husbands got e.
vOrces from their wives on the ground
that the wives failed 20 support them.
/ These we're ali Utah cases The records
show that three out Of every sixteen
wives seeking divorce asked aIimOny, and
that one ont Of every eight obtained t.
/ There are bona fde instances OF husbands
demanding and receiving alimony. but
\ these are few.
Much maligned South Dakota does not
Head IN the number OF divorces, as one
might be inclined TO believe The rate
\ IN that State IS 20 per 1000 population.
: This Is nearly doubled by the State %
Washington. which totals up 10 Oh
Arkansas leads the South with 80. and
Texas Is not far behind. California is
said 10 hold the record for granting d.
vorces in quicker time than any other
State More women obtain divorces in
the North than iu the South. despite ths
latter's large negro population This is
attributed bv the statisticisn 70 the fact
that the women OF the North have. in tia:
period. been industTialiy more independent
than the women OF the South. and more
lCapable and more anxious 10 provide for
themselves II given their liberty again.
The average length OF the married lifa
OF the people who sfterward obtain o.
tvorces IS ten years. and one couple cut
OF every Eve who were divorced MI
grated from the State in which they were
married into some other before obtaining
their DEGREES Of separation
The allegation that actors are. as a
rule, much married and much divorced,
is sustained most positively by this re-
port There IS one divorced actor u
ievery six married ones. The commercial
traveller ranks next in the list with a
ratio Of one TO twenty. Musicians are
next, and are followed in order BY ply
sicIsns. bartenders, telegraph and tele-
phone operators. Despite the President :
Inquiries that are expected 10 result II
an upiift for the life Of the farmer and
his wife, the divorce rate among farmers
Is far below the average. there being one
divorced farmer 20 ninety-two married
ones.
The more closely home ties are kept
and the more intact the family circle IS
held. the better the ultimate manhood
and womanhOOd OF the children Of that
home An examination into the records
OF the refO-TnstOTies and other. penal in.
stitutiOns OF the land viii show that 81
per cent OF the inmates have come from
homes that Slave been broken By divorce
II all suits involving domestic troubles
could be tried away from curious court
room crowds, in courts such as hear chill
dren's cases. Il Is safs 70 assert that
surprisingly large percentage OF divorcc
seekers would go home, willing 10 try
married life a little while longer r
about two divorce cases out OF FIVE there
are children concerned As g rule. ths
mothers are given the custody OF the
children This is considered a detrimen'
TO the fathers seeking divorce The
mother Is always extremely reluctant q
seek divorce when there are children L
be considered. unless her husband be Z
drunkard
There have been several national meet
lings TO frame Uniform divorce law fol
the various States and Territories. bu'
the movement as a whole has not made
much headwsy- The special census report
OF 1883 first opened the eyes Of the IA
ton to the need Of such laws. The advo-
Gates OF divorce reform are stu Opt
mist. and should laws Ike that framed
by RavoinO 70 enacted, a better mora
status. where marriage Is concerned. mas
be acquired by the nation.
lcOPyriSht. Ises. b Frederic J.. HasSin)
TO-mOrrow-The Whaling Industry