The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-30
THE PAGAN YANKEES OF THE ORIENT IN ADVANCE
An Interesting Discourse the Subject Recently Given
by the Rev. Morgan M. Sheedy, D. D, Altoona,
in St. Johns Cathedral.

D., rector of st. Johns pro-cathedral,
yesterday discussed the evils of the
divorce question, declaring that it had
attained such proportions in America
that it threatens to undermine so-
ciety. says the Altoona (Pa.) Evening
Gazette Of recent date. He took Cor
his text the sixth verse Of the nine
teenth chapter Of st. Matthew's sos-
pel-"What God hath joined together
let no man put asunder." He said:
We have high authority for the say
ing that there are sermons in stones.
Few preachers or moralists, however.
find there matter for discourse. Sta
tistics, which seem almost equally as
dry and upinviting, are favorite topic
and supply abundant material. Many
wholesome lessons are drawn by :ne
moralist as well as the statesman from
this source. Let us then, base our
discourse this morning on the recent
,ps.1alishad. statistics OF. divorce sup
Piled by the federal census bureau.
y These divorce statistics are unques-
tionably startling ana at the same
time wholesome inasmuch as they fur
nish tangible evidence of the appal-
ling extent Of the social plague. With
this frightful array Of divorces granr-
cd in the United States within the
last twenty years before us, the moral
and patriotic sense Of Americans
should be aroused to the danger that
threatens the nation from this evil and
steps should be taken to stay its fur
ther spread. Let us look at the fig
ures. From 1887 to 1906 the country
has averaged $4,000 divorces every
year or a total of over 100000 divor-
ces for the past twenty years. The
figures show that divorces are increas-
ing three times as fast as the popula-
ton; that the average life Of mar
riage, ending in divorce, is less thin
ten years. The available data shows
that one marriage in twelve is ulti-
mately dissolved by judicial decree.
It has been pointed that if the present
divorce rate should continue to in
crease in the ratio observed, and #
the population should double in .he
next fifty years, the forecast of one
of our most prominent professors
would be realized. Prof. Wilcox, Of
Cornell, says:
1.-THE increase Of divorce is SO rapid
that at the end of the present century,
If 1t is not checked, fully one-half the
marriages will be ended by divorce in
stead Of DEATH" This is truly an
alarming situation ind recalls the
days of decadent Rome. The. extent
Of the divorce evil is so great as to
strike at the very roots of our social
system. Divorce is becoming so prev
alent as to be almost fashionable;
marriage is getting to be little better
than a system Of free love,
There is no country in the world
outside Of pagan Japan where the evil
is so widespread as in America. In
France and most European countri IS
divorces are few in rural districts.
The rural districts Of some of the
states, like Maine, New Hampshire and
illinois have a larger share Of d.
vorces than our big cities. What is
termed the purer American stock
yield the largest percentage Of d.
vorces.
The only country which matches our
appalling record is JaI.an, where one
marriage in three is ended by divorce.
Marriages are little less than half e.s
numerous as in this country, but di.
vorces in Japan are one-llalf greater
in number than in he United States.
Divorces in other countries are rela-
lively. few. England, with one-th:-d
of our population, has about 10000
divorces year, a sixth Of our number.
France, with half as much population,
has about a fifth as many divorces IS