Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-08
What is Your Chance
For Married Happiness?

WASHINGTON, d. C.-The chances
for married happiness, according tn the
statistics Just compiled by the census
bureau, arc one In twelve. Out Of every
tewelve marriages. contracted, not less
than one is terminated by divorce.
During the past forty years divorces in
the United States have increased at a
tremendous rate. During the twenty
years from 1857 to 1906, inclusive, the to-
tai number of divorces was 945,625. Dur
ing the previous twenty-year period, from
1861 on, the total number was 32S, Il6 AT
the beginning of the forty-year period
divorces were being turned out by our
courts at the rate of 10000 a year; at
the end of this period they were COM
ing out at the rate of $1,000 year. OF
course, some allowance must be made for
an increase of population during this
time.
There seems to be no trouble about the
number of people getting married in Tie
United States. The marriage rate based
on the total population is higher in the
United States than in any other country
for which reliable statistics can be Sc
cured. Taking the total manageable
population as a basis there is only one
other nation, Hungary, which has high
er rate than ours. 1t appears that some
thing over per cent of the unmarried
adult population each year contracts
n1atrimony.
The total number of marriages between
1887 and 1906 was 1882, 044. During the
first year recorded there were 4S3, O69
marriages and the number increased to
SIS, 290 in 1906. The rate of increase was
not uniform. In periods of hard times,
such as the one which followed 1898, mar
riages were much fewer. In 1894 the num-
Der not only did not increase, but there
was an actual decrease over the previous
year. 1t Is estimated that the number Of
people permanently prevented from mat
rimQny by the panic of '93 was 259,S13.
The figures show that the wife gener-
ally secures the divorce. At least two
thirds Of the number of divorces grant
ed during the past twenty years were
accorded to the wives.
The experts hold that it is not neces-
sarily due to the greater depravity OF
the man that the woman secures the di-
vorce more frequently, but in actual prac-
tice ii is found that there are more well
recognized and available grounds on
which woman can secure divorce than
there are provided for the man. For ex-
ample, there are many divorces granted
for neglect to provide" or nonsupport,
which a husban seeking divorce does not
often find to be an available ground. The
investigation, however has turned up six
cases in the state of Utah in which hus-
bands obtained divorces from their wives
on that ground. Likewise while cruelty is
generally the charge against the husband
it is found that one out of every five
cruelty cases finds the wife responsible
for cruelty to the husband.
The most common single ground for
divorce is desertion. This accounts for
$50 per cent of all the divorces in the
last twenty years. The next important
ground is for husbands, adultery, and for
wives, cruelty. OF the number of divorces
granted the husbands Is per cent was for
adultry, while 27.5 per cent of those
granted the wives was for cruelty.
Drunkenness was the ground for divorce
in SO per cent of the cases in which
the wife brought suit and in IL per cent
of the cases brought by the husband.
The average duration of marriages ter
minated by divorce is about ten years.
Sixty per cent, or three-fourts, last less
than ten years, and 40 per cent last
longer. The number of divorces occur
ring in the first year of married life is
about half as many as during the sec
ond year. and the number increases until
it reaches its maximum in the fifth year.
From that point the number diminishes.
Children were reported in 1878 per cent
of the total number of divorce cases.