The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-03-23
THE MATTER OF DIVORCE.

Of Inc University OF WISCONSIN, SOClOl-
ogist and author, last Sunday morning
before the Ethical Society of ST. Louis
in an address which commanded atten-
ton because of its lucidity and force
fitness His subject was The Signifi-
canoe of Increasing Divorce, and prov
ed TO be an explanation of rather than
an attack on divorce. The Globe-Demo-
crat prints an interesting summary of
his utterances, the alient points OF
which were as follows:
If the movement toward divorce
maintains its present velocity. in forty
years one marriage in four will end in
divorce, and in eighty years one mar
riage in two.
There is little to show that couples
are taking the VOWS of wedlock with
any other desire or expectation than +
till death, albeit the increase III di- i
vorce
Specialized industry. in way, IN
fits a young woman for marriage by
weaving her from the domestic arts.
The intellectual progress of women
swells the demand for matrimonial
surgery. ("Matrimonial surgery. by
the way. is good-)
Divorce is not usually sought with
trent TO remarry.
The wife from helpmate, has be-
come luxury.
The infdelity that purpor-- to lie
at the root of one-sixth of the divorce
cases is an expression of the exaggerat-
ed self-will
The law should forbid marriage
license to couples who have known
each other less than month
Early marriage was mentioned as
one of the remedies. the speaker stat
ing that early subsection TO the marital
woke hindered the development OF
Young women TO their full stature. and
resulted in lack of independence and
assertion of rights on the part OF the
wife. Some interesting figures were
given by Professor Ross, and some
/ thoughtful reasons and remedies Tor
/ divorce were mingled in his explana-
] ton. Most striking of the statistics ne
quoted was that from 1887 to 1906 949'-
COS divorces were grated IN the
United States, and that divorces were
increasing two and one-half times as
fast as population. In getting down TO
causes for divorces multiplying, the
speaker took exception to the frequent
assertion of right on the part OF the
precipitately before they haze given
marriage fair trial. "The average in
terval before separation exceeds six
and one-half years" declared the speak
err .'and is not diminishing, adding that
since more than half the couples lived
together above four years, it would be
rash to surmise that people were form
, ing risky and unstable unions with al
!. ideal to easy dissolution if the yoke
chafed
| Professor Ross also took a negative
view of statements made that divorce
: is usually sought because of desire
; to marry again on the part OF one o.
: both parties Marriage is one of those
: cases. as DR.. Johnson puts it, said thu
speaker where hope triumphs over ex
] perience" Neither did the speake
/ agree with the statements about tn
D number of people migrating to state
o with liberal laws to obtain divorces
S as he said few can afford to seek re
d lief out of their own state.
:. although in thirty-eight years tn
l. resort to divorce has become thre
r times as frequent. there is little
show that couples are taking the vo"
e. of wedlock with any other desire {
e. expectation than union till death
b. asserted the speaker. He spoke of ii
G. loveless couples of the good o.
S, times as having been held together t
g public opinion, religious ordinance
is ignorant of a remedy, the expense
D. divorce or the wife's economic hel
le lessness. rather than by a heroic fide
SIS ity to an ideal.
he The entrance OF women into the
dustrial field was brought in as one
al. the prime causes of divorces. Mo
. and more we live in cities. and Il
nd city gives the woman her chance, &
tn clared the speaker. BY chance,
h; meant the chance to support herse
Sc and in support of his assertion he st;
ne ed that So per cent of the divorced v
-, men are bread winners. adding tn
es the prospect of solving the bread a
ng butter problen3 by her own efforts e
Mt, couraged the aggrieved wife to Ire
be her letters and face the world alone
INT In referring to the ages of WON n
dl different countries at the time they q
sit married, Professor Ross stated tn
~. thanks to womans chance to earn
mt living. only one-ninth of the girls !
ar. der twenty are married. 'Two-fft
ect of the girls between the ages of sixte
,od and twenty-four are bread winner
me he said, and after seven years of
ms dependence. which is the lot of I
average young working woman. II
- enter upon wedlock with high sFi
'sH that will not brook subsection.
~ Continuing on ages of marriage,
'iu professor stated that specialized
es' dustrv in way units a young Won
RI for marriage by weaving her from:
'Fo domestic arts. The girl married
nov eighteen directly from the paren
ne home is more likely to make and X
AIRY a home happy than the girls who n