Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-16
Here Are Some Curiosities of Divorce

Here Are Some Curiosities of Divorce.
Chicago Inter-Ocean: The census
bureau has just published a comprc-
heEsive report on marriage and divorce
for the 20 year period, 1SS7-19OG. The
conclusions are not at all startling.
their novelty having been largely dis
counted by successive annual staus-
tical abstracts of the government, but
the figures reveal much matter If
curious interest
We are told that the percentage or
divorces both to the married and 10
tie total population shows a steady
increase during the period 1SS7-1906
as compared with the previous 20 year
period; also that the total number OF
divorces was 945625 in the later
period against 32S,716 in the earlier
one.
The percentage of marriages in the
south, the report goes on to say. is
much larger than in the north in
the South Atlantic states the rate was
$50 marriages per 100000 of adult un-
married population, as against 2G0 IL
the North Atlantic states, while the
rate in the south central states was
436, as against 322 in the north cen
trail, and 273 in the western group.
But if these statistics seem to draw
an east and west line to divide the
north and south. the divorce figures
draw one exactly at right angles to It.
dividing the east and west. In other
words. the percentage of divorces IS
noticeably greater in the western,
north central and south central states
than in the North and South Atlantic
states.
In 1906 the highest divorce rate per
100000 estimated population was from
the western division-16S. Then came
the north central and south central
divisions with los and rs. respective
ly. Then the North and South Atlantic
states, with the extremely small rate
of Al and 43. In general, the figures
show that the divorce rate increases
as one goes westward.
So much for the general statistics.
Now for the objects of curiosity And
the first is the falling off of marriages
in panic years-an old and perfectly
natural phenomenon. In 1898, when
hard times began, the number of mar
riages showed only a slight increase
as compared with 1892. and in 1904 the
figures actually showed falling off [ :
over $1,000 as compared with the year
before the trouble began
Another curious point about the sta
tistics is the remarkable way in which
the number of divorces granted the
fOy- Af to
whole 20 year period to be about
double the number granted at the in
stance of the husband. 1t would seem
that there must be some hidden law
which made two women have cause
for divorce to every man having cause.
Take the figures for any wear at ran
dom. In 1887 34.S per cent of the IL
vorces were granted to the husband
and G52 to the wife. In 1894 1885
were granted to the man and 25.017 to
the woman. And so on through the
list. Every one can understand why
the women should get most of the Ii
vorces. But why this constant ratio
of about . to 1? That is the curious
point
One of the most interesting tables
in the report deals with the l'uHlper OIL
divorces granted in the various years
of married life. OF the total for the |
period under consideration 2.1 per cent |
only were granted during the couples
first year of welded bliss. The second |
year. however. shows that the strain |
is a little greater, for 81 per cent
were granted. The fourth and fifth |
years of marriage are the most fruit |
full of divorce. the percentage being |
81 and 50, respectively. From that
stage the percentage gently descends
Fntil in the 10th year of marriage the
second honeymoon evidently begins.
The percentage is here %.
From the 10th to the 25th year the
rate again quite naturally descends.
In the "a tn year only 1 per Gent of the
total number of divorces was recorded. |
But just at this point the statistics
become really astonishing. The per-
centage jumps from 1 for the oath
year to 6 for the 25th and subsequent |
years WHY? It would seem that II
ought to lessen every year tc the end. |
Let him answer who can.