Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-10-28

In America complete anarchy reigns
IN regard to religious organizations
and influences. the individual is alb
lsolutely free from any mandatory &C.
ECCLESIASTICAL power: = he.@ comes and
goes. joins and withdraws, prays or
curses as he please.
lndividualism i'm America often
goes to the extent of crapkiness and
crabbedness. and Maine people are
not lacking In this particular An
independent spirit is splendid vir-
tue, but. when it is carried to an ex-
IRENE and expressed in all kinds of
small matters, it become stupid scnsi-
tiveness and extreme irritability,
causing unhappy married = life and
frequent appeals to the courts
The economic, social and legal in
dependence of woman constitute one
of the most influential conditions
leading to divorce. She no longer
fears to face the problem of getting
an independent living, and social
standing is easily secured With
fewer opportunities for economic in
dependence thousands of women
would stick to married life and make
the best of it, who now fly to the
courts for relief
Some Local Causes in Maine.
What ails Maine? Why should this
State lead, the whole eastern half of
the nation in divorce? Are the Maine
families naturally less stable and the
Maine citizens less moral than other
states? Or. are our courts easy" and
forgetful of some Of the great social
interests? Do Names courts run a
bargain counter on divorce bills?
There seems to be a general opinion
over the State that anybody can get a
divorce, and if he should have no real
cause he can trump up one for the oc-
casion. The legal profession is full
OF stories of ways to trick the court
and get a divorce through, where the
grounds are regarded as insufficient.
Lax regulations for getting into
matrimony sometimes permit chill
dren hot heads, and ineompetents to
enter matrimonyn under conditions
sure to lead to the divorce courts.
Our low ideals regarding the marriage
ceremony may indicate some of the
difficulty. More preparation, dignity,
and impressiveness should be re-
quired by statute to be given to civil
law marriages. Marriage ceremonies
in law offices and such places should
be entirely prohibited and the whole
service confined to the home, church,
es, and public rooms provided for such
a purpose. Only by such require
ments can surroundings BETTING the
occasion be secured
Good Suggestions.
Maine now requires five days reg
istration in the clerks office before
the issue OF the certificate. No pub
LEGATION of intention is now required
This is d mistake and publication in
the city or county paper, for at least
a week, should be at once provided
for by law. This would prevent any
juggling with the town clerks books
in rural places defer some hasty mar
riages, and give d certain publicity
which at times is very important.
In the same way should all applica-
tons for divorce be published for a
sufficient length of time.
The requirements of years sep
aration before the granting of a di-
vorce would probably prevent some
families from separating permanent
ly by giving them time to cool off and
come to their senses.
But in the long run the most in
Huential of all reforms would be- the
instruction of our children in the
schools and at home in morality, fam
lily ideals and the purposes and goals
of sex life: domestic science in it's
highest and truest sense for the girls,
and industrial education for the boys
Stronger homes must be built up
from the bottom by the education of
the child and the spreading of moral
atmosphere throughout the population
by every means Such d work
strengthens the weak and diseased
families where the real evils lie Let
social morality become as prominent
in the public instruction as is mum
Der work"