Evening journal., 1909-01-15
Editorial
Opinion
Prof. Wilcox lon Divorce.


Prof. Wilcox lon Divorce.
New York Evening Sun.
Prof Walter +. Wilcox OF Cornell Uni
versity has studied the divorce problem as
consulting statistician" of the State
Department of Health and has reached
some interesting conclusions. lie says he
fails to see how It can be demonstrated
that there has been a lowering of morals
IN this country by reason Of the increase
Of divorce. Neither does he believe that
the rule can be established that usually
a gets a divorce from for the purpose
Of marrying c. Prof Wilcox also makes
the following economic memoranda:
Since 1861 one and a quarter million di-
vorces have been granted in this country.
The rate of increase has been almost un-
checked and uniform. During periods OF
business depression the rate has fallen,
probably due to the fact that Il costs
about $50 to secure a divorce and parties.
desiring separation would not feel like
using the money at such a time. But after
periods OF depression there has been more
than a normal rate Of increase.
A million and a quarter divorces in the
last forty years and no lowering of pub
lie morals which can properly be charged
TO that fact is his judgment in the cir
cumstances. He perceives that an impulse
to facilitate divorce was eltNmmediateiy
after the Protestant Reformation. that
this tendency has pervaded all Shristian
countries, and ho finds that thA most
marked thing about its progress in Amerl-
ca is that ii has gone further here Nhan
anywhere else in the world. and thai II
has gone further in the Western STATES
than in the Eastern States We have beAn
using hisown words as nearly as possiblA
Leaving to the theologians attention
| the proposition that i'm the disavowal Of
the sacramental character Of marriage Law
the seeds Of divorce. now grown so tan a
tree, and TO the combined Judgment Of
! lawyers and humorsts the proposition
that divorce costs about $50 let us look
for moment at his optimistic finding Of
"a million and quarter divorces and no.
body the worse for them. Recent tables
show that since 1861 the total immigration
TO this country foots up 2o.2271Oi. In 1870
the census gave. us a population Of ss.55S
81. and IN 1900 a population Of "a. .s03 3S7-
practically doubling I'm the number. For
the eight years since 1900 the immigration
tables show 1.0002,952. as against 3.s4 42O
in the whole ten years following the CEN
sus Of 1890, nearly a doubling in this
| case.
To multiply figures is often only a bore
but at this surface glance we note. again.
that in the last forty years or so our pom
ulation has much more than doubled. az
had doubled in 1900 and that the foreign
influx has almost doubled. during the last
eight years. the influx Of the precedine
ten. The material progress Of the country
during the past ten years has been enor.
nous; its progress since 1867 is like a
fairy tale. far too long even 10 indicate
here. There Is no doubt that our moral
conditions in America. apart from all pre.
Judice and taken in the large. keep ster
with. II they do not far outstrip. those .,
any other nation. II there Is any sag m
the line Of conscientious life. does II no,
appear among the individuals whose idle
hands are turned TO mischief-iust as the
hymn saysg younger country Is alvav,
more moral than an older one-such q
poor humanity In the hands OF circum.