Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-22
The Divorce Evil in the United
States

Divorces are becoming painfully COM
mon and continually Increasing IN yearly
Plumbers.
In 800 there were three times as many
divorces as IN 1870, and during the year
1Sss the United States courts recorded
9SE72 as against s2SS in France. and SIS
IN Great Britain and Ireland.
The time has been when the southern
states claimed 10 possess a higher ciVih-
xation as 10 marriage laws than some ON
er states. but the divorce evil mas per
meated the old Southland very generally
Georgia had So divorces in the year lsoo'
ana these are only the divorces sanction
I'D by the courts OF the state. not consid-
ering In any way those men and women
who are averse TO the unpleasantness OF
a divorce court. and yet who are QUIT
Of each other with no hope OF reunion
or renewal OF the marriage relation To
our credit be Il said. Georgia's number
was smaller than any other southern
state, save Maryland and North Carolina.
Is not counted in this statistical state
ment Of the divorce evil
N has been truly said that the sanctity
OF the home and the integrity Of the mar
rage relation constitute the hope OF our
nation. for without clean lives and vfr-
fuous men and women posterity is DOOM
ed TO misery and lack OF progress.
Much OF the trouble lies in hasty mar
riaTes. a great deal OF II grows out or
the liquor evil. because ineoriety opens
the door 10 every sin in the calendar
and a great deal is owing TO false IDEAS
OF the duty Of married people to each
other
Thev marry for wealth OF an establish
ment or 10 escape the disagreeableness
OF their former homes, or for many 9TH
or reasons save duty and obligation. as
related 10 their marriage vows.
Selfish young women marry 20 be walt
ed on or humored. and selfish young men
are infatuated for a season. and their af-
fection viii not endure the wear ana
tear Of eyeryday's harTasstngs. so they
get tired and too often are infatuated by
other pretty faces TO their own ruin
Idleness has a good deal 10 do with
Welded discomfort, because Idle. people
get into mischief. by reason Of their
wandering eyes and listless minds
We see the effect among the multi-mil-
uonaires, who set terrible example for
those who will copy after their wanton-
ness.
some months ago I noticed In a Georgia
newspaper that aaGeorgia judge passed
on thirty divorce cases in less than an
hour as fast as the clerk could read
the decree was granted Such a condi-
zion Of affairs would have called for a
day Of fasting and prayer. as public ca
lamity fifty years ago
There are bad men who are not worthy
Of the name OF husband or father and IN
fortunately there are some bad women
IN who are not fit to live In q good home
or have the -caresof- little children. / am
not here 20 say that there should be no
relief for those who deserve better things
OF for the relief OF little children. who
may be unfortunately cursed with an I'M
worthy parent. but there are multitude
Of divorces that grow out OF the I'll tenn
per and selfishness OF the parties which
aggregate a great number In these United
States and which deserve severe legal
treatment that would In great measure
reduce the number OF divorces.
In the southern states alone there were
nearly as.00o divorces granted In the year
1906. out OF a population OF 3. 10000.