Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-08
TURN MANY LIVES Of
MISERY 1O SUNSHINE
MARSHALLTOWN GIRL INTER-
ESTED IN NOBLE WORK IN
CITY OF CHICAGO.
MISS JESSIE BlNFORD
WRITES OF EXPERIENCES
New Court Of Domestic Relations ss-
tablished, Where Family Difficulties
Will Be Adjusted if PossibIe-Mis S.
Binford Appears as Peacen aker-
Drink Largely Responsible.

In the role Of peacemaker Miss Jes-
sic f. Binford, daughter OF Mr. and
MIR. and Mrs. Thaddeus Binford, OF this
city. is actively engaged in the work OF
a new reform in the city Of Chicago. A
court Of domestic relations mas been
opened, with Judge Charles \. Good
now in charge, and there husbands and
wives who aCs unable TO agree over do
,nestic atfirs Viii bs brought N all Ell
fort to adjust their difficulties and re-
main out Of the divorce courts.
Hiss BinforL, VINO has been doing set
tlement work at Hun House for sew
eral years, has been one Of the most ac-
tive of these "pe.Acem akers,' who are
uyinS to save men ana women from
the divorce courts, reform men Who Ill
hopeful channels
Miss BinforG was asked by the Chi
cago Evening American FOR AL article
dealing with her experiences in the
preliminary work Of the I.eW court OF
domestic relations. In her article.
which follows, Miss Binford deals with
many OF the causes for separating
husbands and wives. and chief among
treat their families, and guide women.
who have been driven to desperation
by brutality ana poverty. into more
these is the use OF liquor. Miss Bin
iord's article follows:
That one-haIf the world does not
know how the other half lives is an
axiom
That fifty Chicago young women
are devotinS their daily lives to the
husbands IS another thing that half of
Chicago does not know.
That the newly established Court
OF Domestic Relations. 10 be presided
over by Judge Charles y. Cioodnow, is
direct ourgrowth of the need as
shown by Investigations and conclu-
siorls Of peacernakins women Of the
Juvenile Protective Association, may
be regarded as another thing that most
Cnicagoans do not know.
The effort Of this organiza ton is TO
reconstruct, to improve, rather than 10
punish Opportunities for recorStruc
ton and reconciliation are often de-
Stroyed by too precipitate action in a
punitive direction
The Judge Of the Court of Domestic
Relations is not judge in the ordi-
nary sense OF the word. He is d men,
tor. He will know how to discriminate.
He will not invariably apply the letter
OF the law. He will insist upon the
spirit Of it. The purpose OF the court
is to reconcile men and women who.
thru their woes or weaknesses, have
come to the parting Of the ways. 1t IS
essential that there should I've such q,
court Many disastrous divorce could
have been averted by a sound word
of advice. Many a wrecked life might
have been kept Intact had the Court
of Domestic relations in the spirit of
its recent founding been established
long ago.
Drink Causes Breach.
The work Of woman IN readjUstirg
family relations is a tremendously i'm
portant development that has followed
trials OF a dozen methods.
There are all sorts of causes for do
nestle infelicity. Poverty Of the I'M
avoidabIe sort is often the cause. but
poverty caused by drink is most TO be-
death with. Men OF weak character.
deficient IN will power. become re-
spousibls for tho weli-being OF famil-
les. The families suffer.
Often all the man needs is A talk.
Sometimes what he needs is lesson.
in for sociology on scientific lines 70
study and know these cases, may say
without boastnS that IN nine cases
out Of ten the delinquent man is as
easy to read as a kindergarten primer.
III he is merely discOurag ed. a quit
ter willing to take refuge in liquor
that deadens his sense Of responsibility.
ne can be Ia liked to and often converted
INTO an enthusiastic. capable worker
and family man. There are scores Of
such cases
III the man turns out 10 be of the
type arectionate and full Of prom Use
when sober, but heavy listed and brutal
of speech when drunk. he may also be
appealed to by disinterested women,
and there has been, may say. slngu :
lar success in dealing with this sort Of
man. He may revert to the old type
once IN a great while.
Men Fail, Women Win.
THE woman as peacemaker and
pathfinder for the infelicitously wed
las been DEVELOPMENT Of thorough
study and experiment. 1t has peer!
found that no man can go to another
man and take him to task for being
brutal to his family. In nine cases out
Of ten the man endeavoring to act as
peaCernAker becomes the central inquire
in a disorderly conduct case. because
resentment Is inspired in the erring
one instead of remorse.
when woman, who could be killed
by her host with one of his braWny
hands, calls on man who has been
beating his wife and starving his chill
dren thru drink. the case is a different
one. II the woman b afraid she is lost
but she almost never ls.
The man stares at her resentfullv at
first Then he regards her distracted
". Then he looks at her interestedly
Finally ne listens to all she says and
begins to believe, perhaps for the first
time in years, that the thing he started
out to do in all good faith-to make a
home for Mary and the babies may
not even yet be entirely out of range
"Once you can get a man to listen
he IL half saved. II he stares at you
with tears streaming down his face
and tells you that he is going to do the
square thing and make amends tc
Mary and the little ones for years Of
abuse and evil treatment, at least yor
have q fighting chance. And let me say
that not all OF these eleventh hour re.
pentants are backshders. We can poin