Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-10-06
DIVORCE EVIL A
SOCIAL PROBLEM
Legislation Can Do but Little to
Prevent 1t, Says Pres. Austin
at Bar Banquet.

I" tiS AFTERNOON IN the county court
room and will continue through to-
morrow. The time this afternoon was
taken up with reports of officers ana
committees a nomination committee
of one from each county in the state
with John H. Scntcr Of Montpelier as
chairman was appointed to nominate
officers for the ensuing year, the com
mittee to report tomorrow morning.
The supreme court Judges. ana SUI
perior judges attended the ami
versary exercises this evening ana the
banquet that followed. G. G. Austin
of St Albans, the retiring president.
gave the annual address. His subject
was Marriage and Divorce" MT.
Austin said In part:
PREsrrENT At-sTrN's ADDRESS.
No more important subject is pre-
scented TO tho world at large, and par
ticularly to the people of Vermont,
than the problem of marriage ana III
vorce. There is no more vital ques-
ticn than this subject, ana tho CON
federation ard study of this Important
problem.
History from the earliest time inform;
us that it is natural for all mankind 70
marry, and investigation and report
shows to us the percentage that do
marry. also the proportion that are
divorced from such marriages We find
that all classes and conditions Of people
do marry and seek separation from mar
rage hy divorce II is conceded that If
is neutral and RIGHT to marry and wrong
to srrYrate after such marriage. that
such eorai.atlon Is agaiust ntI,ic roIic,-
and corrupting to the morals Of mankind
But. tho condition exists. and has existed
in every civilized nation and country in
tie world for all time. and tho great in
niirv IS what IS the cause of so many
divorces and tho apnaIling Increase of
this OWL As We look back over the his
tory Of mankind from the earliest date
to the present time. We can see that the
causes Of the separation of husband and
wife depended upon n social condition
condition that existed which was and
lis practically beyond the reach of the
law making Yower and the administration
of courts.
CUSTOM or E,ARIy ORIGIN
-
w." vac N'' Va
~ '' - ''''''' " - 'V'', w
~,
Z" '''' '''' Nv "'''''' W ''.9
"S'o'' mas ''''i'''''''' "e,'' '"'s'''''''
""' ~ 10 N'"'4""! '"i'Ne"'' ''"' I'' Just
'""Sc INJURIES s'ou'' pe srah'e"' 1t Is
"'Ho Ss"e''4'H 'o'ioe'eu '"a' wren "i'n
anu woman 'n"'rieS 1t Is 'ne'r "u'F 10
e"c' o''cr anu 10 an WIN "HPil theF
are su'ro"h"eh' 10 i've together until
ue"'H SeNar"tes 'heH'
mere may ne cohditon Oh atalrS eN-
is'ihs between huspahd ana wire "nere
II is proper and just that they be sep"T-
.r'.u .! N''"'ce f'ach o, inc states ana
for ,no granting of n divorce ond rae,r-
lations I'm resn.ot 70 Two sor,o and al.
,ho,yh those 1,,,, ,,d roo,,,aticrs
arc NOT ,,riforr, I, ,s ro.,,,,o,,
that tbav arc founded +, oo,it,. and inc.
tice and dos;grod IN ho ca ad,,,ris,ratad
The froc,enc, ~ ,,f,or., ,,,,nn, t., o-r,.
WAY. no att,;t,,,,,a 10 NV o,.,,r,. 7. {. 90,
our courts % ,d,,,,,i.,a ,.., 49,,
N mako laws I,n,,,,a- t.,,,,r ,t.,..a,,,s,
Within tho ,,aaui,,, 90 ,h, lac, :. l., 81.
dutv o~ tho co,,., 80 o,,,I, .,,o ,a,, =,
is four1 h,. ~, CONT :, 49,, e,,...,.,
urasertad ~ tho oo,,u, -. -
divorce I, &c tho a,,, -, ,ho -. .
,nnIv tbo Iou, a. !, .,,,,u .t.,,.
Ia the subi.ct marian and - !, o,,,onrs
tina, divorco sbo,,,d 10 r,.as 4, g.,
tho duty If m. co,,r, 70 cra,t +,
STATISTICS show tno, T., o,h.- oo,,,,..,..
IS we'll os orr our tho, d,,.o,,oa, a..
on the Increase. that n largo roroar,oc.
of the ,narriares Of tho mast ,v,ar,y ,.,ar.
have been vacated h,. d,,oroo. so, iii
percentage is on the ,ncreasa fro,,, ,..or
10 wear. and that in our own u,,,o c,,,a
# Vermont yyhere I, 10 s,id ,hot ,t,ro
is about one divorce in e,cht ,,,arr,,gss
,,>Nv ,Y,cr,. ,.,
'-"pe''e''ce 'eaches US that large num-
vel VI "rliase contracts or recent years
are e"'e'c" nl'o haSu'!' lll-adNis'd' ana
"''Io"' "'' c"nH''erauon ny the con-
'racti's ParHes OF the importance ana
Nol'''i'"E ol 'he contract Nuch mar
rl'EeS "HUa''E era III divorce
IL inc "la'i'"E" state "er" entered less
'aS'lN' tne standard or character or mar
rage would he raised In order to rem
cay th's great evil am satisfied that a
better understanding must be mad OF the
marriage contract ana us purposes ana
"'''' '''''' o'"u'" anu NoNH'"eio''
''V'fd y 'ra'uc"Ily Sotiai problem
ana one mat can De aineo nut little by
"~1-''.'.'' "" S""u'" SU'He az 'he root
- remedy the evil Recognizing inns
Iact, society should teach lesson OF
conversation to all who are seeking the
marriage compact our boys ana girls
should he taught mat marriage Is IA me
partnership, ana that II should not era
until separated by death. Tney should