The Irish standard., 1912-09-07
JUDGE DWyER ON
DIVORCE QUESTION
Domestic Happiness of Catholics
Equal to That Enjoyed by Any
of the Sects.
His Observation is That Most of
the Divorce Cases are Outside
the Churches.
There Has Never Been a Divorce
Granted in South Carolina and
Morality is High.

Morality is High.
In advocating the adoption of a. pre-
posal to exhibit divorce, which had
been presented to the recent Ohio Con-
stitutional convention by Hon. Stanley
Bowdle, Judge Dennis Dwyer, Of Day.
ton, temporary chairman of the con-
vention, delivered the following able
address, which so commended itself to
the editor of the United Presbyterian
that he published it in his paper:
No better assembly could be found
for the consideration of the subject
Of divorce, and remarriage of divorced
persons during the lifetime Of each
other, than 1 see before me. Here are
ministers of the gospel, physicians,
men who have had the subject before
them in practical way, such as at
torneys-at-law and gentlemen who
have occupied the bench, also men en-
gagged in everyday life, and I venture
the assertion that the consensus of
opinion is that. divorce and renlarriage
of divorced parties during the lifetime
of each other is most unfortunate for
the welfare Of society.
To make state or nation prosper
Gus and happy requires good citizen
ship, and believe that it will be con-
I'ceded that tire foundation for this IS
the family. If the family life is what
we would have it to be, we are sure
good citizenship will follow. Take the
case of a family. where the father in
returning home from his daily toll, is
watched for by his children-they rum
ming gladly to meet him, and the good
housewife is at the door with a pleas
ant greeting, and the meal nicely
| cooked is ready awaiting his coming,
and when the meal is over his evening
paper is ready for him, and the chill
dren press closely to him. trying to sit
on his knees; and when the hour of
retiring arrives there is family prayer,
and You have an ideal family.
In such family the children's rails
ing is carefully watched. AS they
grow up they are advised as to the
associations they should form, so that
when they leave the parental roof to
take upon themselves the duties and
cares Of life, they are. by moral, do
! mestic and industrial training, well
fitted for the work; and they in turn
are sure when they enter matrimony
and are blessed with children to fol-
low the examples by which they were
guided in childhood and youth.
I have in business and social life
been brought up in contact with
great many Jewish people, which af-
fords me pleasure of bearing testimony
that no people, in their domestic life
are more devoted than they, parents
to children and children to parents
During my many years on the bench
! never had an application for a d.
vorce from Jewish husband or wife.
OF course it is known that by the
laws of the Catholic Church It's men,
bers are not allowed to seek divorce,
more especially they are absolutely
prohibited from remarrying during the
lifetime of each other The Scriptural
injunction in the marriage ceremony
that, they whom God hath Joined to-
gether. let no man put asunder," is
literally and strictly enforced. 1t was
SO enjoined on slave owners by the
Church as duty to their slaves in
the days of slavery. And l believe
that the domestic happiness of Catho-
lies is equal to that of any other
class of people. 1t is pleasing to know
that the ministers of most Of the other
denominations are at the present time
taking a very firm stand against d.
vorce, and especially against remar-
riage of the parties during the lifetime
Of the other. During the many years
/ served on the Common Pleas bench
there were about 300 divorce cases
brought annually in .ne Montgomery
county court Of Common Pleas. and
my observation leads me to the opin-
Ion that scarcely any Of the parties TO
same belonged to any of the religious
denominations. So that my observa-
tion Is that most Of the cases Of do
mastic dimcult,as leading 70 .dtyor,,