The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-04-04
TALK OF ANOTHER
DIVORCE POWW0W
ClubWomen Much Stirred by
Recent Criticism-Dr.
Blount Indignant.

CHICAGO, April 4.-Another WON
ems divorce conference will be call
ed within a short time as a result OF
the controversy between the partici-
pants and the Illinois divorce com
mission over last Saturdays meeting.
Leaders among the women have in
dividually denounced Judge Marcus
Kavanaugh and other commissioners
for reading their resolutions as mean
ing free love-" and are DESTROYS that
a concerted protest be made.
DR.. Anna K. Blount, of Oak Park,
has renewed her criticism of the stand
taken by the divorce commission, and
particularly regarding the free love-
Interpretation given the resolutions, of
which she was co-author with the sec
rotary, Mrs. A. A. Jaotta.
DR.. BIount Makes Statement.
"As chairman of the divorce confer
ence at the Congress, | wish to cor
rect one point in the published report
of the action taken by that meeting,
said Dr. Blount. The resolution max
ing insanity and feeble mindedness
grounds for divorce was injected by
the conference.
81 had heard 80 much comment OF
mingled indignation and amusement
on the public meeting of the divorce
commission that it seemed advisable
to hear what body of representative
club women would say on the subject
A general invitation was extended by
announcing the meeting at the various
clubs, so the audience was fairly rep
resentative.
This conference was of the opinion
that the bill now in the legislature
at the instigation of the self-consti
tuted divorce commission is pernic
ious.
women file the petitions in three
fourths of all divorce suits in the
United States, and are granted two
thirds of the divorces. Men file one
fourth of the petitions and are grant
ed one third of the divorces.
Says Courts Favor Men.
"A man, if he applies for a divorce
has a so per cent better chance to get
it than a woman. Why? Because the
judges are men, the lawyers are men,
and the laws are made by men.
st is natural, then, that women
should watch with some misgivings
the efforts of body like this same
self-constituted divorce commission to
add expense to the necessary divorce
proceedings, and to have the states
attorney defend all divorce suits.
'And as to the epithet of free love
promptly hurled at us by members OF
that commission, confess l was not a
little surprised and indignant. l am
not one to be scared by epithets.
''If l were to fling the epithet, 'pur
chased love- at Judge Kavanaugh il
would not elucidate the situation.
can only say the speakers at our con
ference, most of them mothers of fam
lilies, need no defense of their honor
and integrity at my hands.
"The keynote of our conference was
the welfare of the child and to that
end we deprecated the continuance OF
marriages that would add more chill
dren of bad heredity to fill our al
ready replete institutions for feeble
minded, insane and other detectives.
Judge Kavanaughs concern for lit
tie children will do little good if its
object is to keep these children in g
home where man and woman are shut
up against their will like rats in g
trap.
Where Collision Figures.
1.-THE welfare of the potential child
as well as that of the actual child
must be considered. To that end ev
cry divorce petition where collusior
figures should be granted. In Japar
Italy, Belgium, Austria, Norway ant
Sweden divorce is granted by mutua
consent or for aversion But we pun
ish collision by the extreme penalt,
of continuing the marriage"
Water Bills Due April LIST
31-10