The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-16
KANSAS C0AMENT
SECRET DIyORCEs

=
me system which is being pursued
IN the New York divorce case of Mr..
ana Mrs. John Jacob Aston, who have
, peen married 20 years and ought to
KNOW Detter than to want a divorce
Is one which should tend to make the
oivOrce business pick up considerably.
Wnetner 1t is proper policy to al
low a1scordant husbands and wives to
obtain separations by secret agrees
ment is doubtful.
divorces are plentiful enough as it
Is. Tne more secretly and quietly a
uiVorce can be secured, the NOSE pop
ular it will become.
one thing which retards divorces at
present is the fact that those who I'M
dertake to go through the divorce mill
are ooIlged in most cases to submit
10 the fierce light of publicity.
Inc scandals of domestic life dis
IKE the ilght as much as do the scan
dals OF business life Great corpora
lions are fighting the most desperate
oattie OF their existence nowadays, for
the purpose of keeping out the light
when the government threatens to
direct into their affairs. It is felt that
formation about corporation in
| EQUITIES, it can find the remedy for
those iniquities.
| We are not familiar with the New
York divorce law, but it seems that
| in that state the state government is
4
gard to divorces. 1t has turned out
the light.
| 1t seems to be the attitude of the
law that if a man or a woman has
plenty of money. he or she can hush
up all family scandals in the form of
sealed papers," and divorce at will
without any unpleasant publicity.
Presumably this secrecy is for the
purpose of publication of public
morals, and the desire to keep from
t6n l, a 1;~x;x,
domestic unhappiness. 1t is very
doubtful whether the publication of
public morals can be brought about
by smothering facts which under the
general rule of court procedure
should be public property There are
many things vastly more demoraliz-
| ing to public morals than the facts
of a delinquent marriage partnership,
and it might be a good idea to attend
to these greater evils.
| If John Jacob Aston and his wife
are allowed to conduct their divorce
proceedings in secret, and without any
of the annoyance of publicity, then
every other man and woman, no mat
ter whether they have money or not,
should be allowed the same privilege.
divorce. 1t will become a secret
source of poison to the blood of the
social body.-Salina Journal.
| SLAOG1IEft OF' lNNOCENIS.
mortality bulletin has just been
| issued at Washington showing the
deaths in about one-half of the Unit
ed States for the years 1907 and 1908
and it exhibits the appalling fact tina,
of the deaths in the territory reported
upon more than one-fourth were OF
children under five years of age. There
were a little less than 100000 deaths
in this area in 1908 and of these 2OO,-
600 were babies under five years OF
age. And of these babies nearly one.
half were less than one year old. Why
this mortality among the little ones
Manifestly it is because they are no,
properly cared for. They can not care
for themselves, as older persons car
and those whose duty it is to care fol-
Them neglect the duty. and then wher
Death steps IN toAAclaim the little ones
these negligent parents Course fate
| or whine about mysterious Provi-
dence." Some vigorous means should
be adopted to stop this slaughter OF
the innocents. In very many cases il
would be better if the state should
step in and take charge of the chill.
dren and to see to their nurture unit
they are able to look out for them
selves.-Leavenwort Post.