Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-01-10
TuNIS LEADS WORLD
FOR EASY DIVORCES
When Husband Lashes Wife,
She May Return to Her
Parents Home.
From the Kansas CITY Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
Dollar divorces! Reno papers please
cop.
Cut-rate separations. marked down sew
erances Of matrimony. bargain sales OF
single bliss-wha: a wonderful lot OF in
ducements might be offered to
tourists II Nevada could appropriate some
of the African statutes. For instance. the
women OF The lngafwa tribe who are
tired of their husbands have the Reno
women backed off the map. They do not
have to worry for six months, a wear or
two years. held in an onerous marital
leash until a judge condescends to sign a
decree. Instead. they simply nag and nag
their husbands until they induce the irate
gentleman to give them a good beating.
Once q drop of blood flows, it is all Off.
Back to mother goes the wife, taking
with her a good share of the marriage Of
ferings, and becomes q divorce without
any more ado.
Nor are these African women the only
ones who don't have to HE themselves
to Reno when they merely want to get
rid of their husbands. Yet everywhere
one rule holds pretty good in the divorce
records-it's the young women who ara
wiling to take another chance. The mid
die aged ones are usually satisfied with
the meal tickets they have. and glad
enough when they can hold on to them.
Particularly is this so In Tunis. where
N' .'' WV RAsSU 4 fIS ItecUO
any time he wants it..
The Arabs and the Moors probably hold
the divorce record. In Sudan there are
Arab men who have been married 40 or
80 times within 10 years. The female OF
the species cannot boast OF such record.
Inc best they are usually able to do is ~
matches in a decade. This is because the
customs and conventionalities decree that
a divorcee shall walt three whole months
before becoming a blushing bride again.
while her former husband can re-marry
the day he is freed If he so desires. 1t
would indeed be a great scandal for his
discarded wife to startle S%udanese society
by being SO previous. But after her period
or grass has expired. she can
go and do 1t again without fear OF criti-
cisn.
In the Barbary states a wife can get a
divorce II she finds that hubby had an
other sweetheart before he wooed her.
That is her only salvation If she tires OF
her better half unless she can prove that
ne has beaten her without sufficient provo
cation. or that he had not given her
proper food, clothing or shelter. And this
is pretty hard for her to do, for the Judge
might agree with the husband that ahe
deserved the beating and that the food
and clothing that he gave her were rood
enough for her.
On the other hand. 1t liz the easiest
thing In the world for an Arab OF the
same region TO cast aside his wife In
favor of another. And then the first one
cannot re-marry, unless she returns to
him the money that he paid when he
bought her. If she loses her good looks
or IL unttdy In her dress, OF n he Rrowx
tired of her for some reason or another,
all he has to do is to say, woman, get
thee hence: take thy goods and CO." And
go she must. Divorce courts or fees do
not have to be commended with.
In and about Tunis 1t Is a different
story. For there one will find q divorce
court. where the men can get rid Of their
wives for the grand total sum OF 3l.2o.
And the women seldom have any say I'm
the matter, 1t being estimated that nine
divorces out of every 10 applied for are
granted.
There is . wonderful scene in this ma
jestic hall Of Justice in Tunis. present
Ing q picture which may some day win 4
prize for some energetic and ambitious
artist. In this hall. the principal Furnish
ings of which are beautiful eastern rugs
and draperies. there is q striking con-
trast In the appearance presented by the
gray headed Judges in green robes and
gold turbans. the husbands also in tur-
bans. the lawyers in tarbooshes and the
wives. closely yelled and hooded. herded
like so many sheep behind an iron grill.
These latter take no part in the proceed
ings, leaving their interests In the hanse
of an advocate.