The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-03-29
CLUB women FAVOR
EASY DIVORCE
Criticise Divorce Commission for
Recommending Stricter
Marriage Laws.
Judge Marcus Kavanagh Resents
Attack and Pleads for Un-
fortunate Children.
Says Resolutions of Club Women
are an Attack OH Matri-
mony Itself.

Chicago club women arc severely |
opposed to the recommendations OF
the divorce commission of that city
for stricter marriage laws. The rat
trap of marriage" as one OF them
termed the Sacrament of Matrimony,
they would practically do away with.
Here are the resolutions passed at Il
conference of the Chicago society
leaders last Saturday:
Whereas, 1t is the sense of this as
scmblage that to force two people to
live together who do not SO wish will
only make IL bad matter worse, and
that remedies should be applied be-
fore marriage by arousinS the cugcnic
conscience through education and re-
forming the marriage laws.
Resolved, That we are opposed to
the plan proposed by the divorce COM
mission to have the states attorney
Il party to all divorce suits. We op-
pose it on the ground of it's undcsir-
able added expense and of it's pre-
effort to obtain a divorce is wrong.
We believe the mismatcd righteous
are as deserving OF relief by divorce
as the mjsmated unrigltcous, and that
persons should not bn forced to COM
init Sin or perjury in order to- obtain
divorce.
Judge kavanagh's Comment.
In condemning the resolutions OF
the club women and defending the ac-
| tion of the commission, Judge Marcus
xavanagh, chairman, made II plea for
the unfortunate children of divorced
parents. Judge Kavanagh said:
"The commission first attached to
that body many clergymcn, Judges
and lawyers. 1t has the most cmin-
ent clergy of every creed in Chicago.
and who are better able than they to
understand this national evil and to
apply remedies with clearer minds:
We have lawyers and judges. Surely
| lawyers should know something about
the form OF the law. AS for the
judges, myself, have heard and de-
termincd more than 1000 divorce
cases, so We judges should know
something of the nature Of and causes
for divorce. ...
But the most surprising of all the
opposition came yesterday. AS l read
| the resolution adopted at the womcns
conference there could be but one
meaning in the expression, TO force
two people TO live together who do not
so wish will only make a bad matter
worse and that means that when two
people do not wish to live together
they should be entitled to IL DIVORCE
because. as the resolution further
says, the mismated righteous are as
deserving OF relief by divorce as the
mismated unrighteous, and that per-
sons should not be forced to commit
sin or perjury in order to obtain Il
DIVORCE
'If the principle or this resolution
be true, what is the necessity Of go
, ing into court at all? Why not adopt
the old Japanese law. or extend the
privileges Of the old Mosaic law to the
/, wife. and have a divorce by agree
mcnt without the intervention OF a
court?
why not change the marriage
ceremony and strike out the words
until death us do part and let the
husband promise to love, honor and
protect the wife until he tires OF her,
and let the wife love, honor and cher
i ish the husband until she sees some
J, one else who looks better to her?
Secs Attack on Marriage.
1.-The resolutions as passed yestcr-
day arc not an attack on divorce but
i on marriage itself, and l wonder if
any Of these women who voted for
them are mothers Of little girls. If
/, so, would like to have them attend
: my court some Saturday morning and
see that procession OF white faced,
humiliated women who ascend the
:! witness stand for the commencement
Of a crucifxion that probably never
J will end in this world. can assure
these women that in divorce suit the
best 4 woman can get is always the
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