The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-02-21

can prove effective, Senator Ransdell
addressed the Senate in favor of his
amendment. He said:
Senator RansdeIl's Address.
Practically every one who has CIV
en- the subject the slightest study adj
mits that divorce is one of the most
serious problems confronting our re-
public. In the United States divorce
is spreading with alarming rapidity.
1t has permeated every walk of life,
and is prevalent among every class of
people. The total number of divorces
granted in 1857 was 1897, or 81 per
100000 population. Forty years later,
in 1906, there were 1902 divorces, or
sc per 100000. Thus in actual num-
bers there were more than seven
times as many divorces granted in
1907, as in 1867, or allowing for the
increased population, divorce has in
creased 319 per cent.
IF divorces multiply at the same
rate in the future as in the past, and
there is every indication that they
will increase faster-then before the
middle of this century, we will have
annually in the United States 275 d.
vorces per 100000 population, or one
divorce for every five marriages. Our
| closest competitors in Europe are
Switzerland, with Al divorces annual
ly per 100000 population; Hungary
with 35, and France with SO, accord
ing to the statistics for 1910 and 1911,
while Japan has 215 divorces to our
eighty-six.
Startling Statistics.
ITO make a most striking compari-
sion, during 1901 the total number of
divorces granted in the United States
was more than twice as great as in all
the rest of Christendom combined;
yes, actually more than two times as
many divorces among $4,000 ,0oo Amer
leans that year, as among the 400, 000,-
900 souls of Europe and other Chris
tian countries. England stands in
bold contrast with this country In
1911 she granted total of only 655
divorces, or 11a per 100000. while in
1905 the United States allowed 72,062
divorces, or sc per 100000. During
the twenty years ending with 1906,
Ireland had only 10 divorces, or an
average of less than one absolute di-
vorce per year, for her entire popula-
ton of 100000.
eff the United States were to write
in the Constitution an amendment
prohibiting absolute divorce, it would
not be taking such a radical step as
might at first be thought, but would
be following beaten path Our own
State of South Carolina (all honor to
herr forbids divorce. 1t is absolutely
prohibited in Italy, Spain, and to two
thirds of the population of Austro-
Hungary, while the Latin-American
countries have similar laws. A legal
separation, however, without the right
to remarry, is recognized in all Of
these jurisdictions.
Society CrumbIing at Its Base.
ct cannot be gainsaid that divorce
destroys the home. And the home is
the base and foundation of the State;
hence, we must stop divorce or ruin
the State, which cannot continue to
exist if it's base is allowed to crum-
BILE and fall. While many excellent
people are divorced and some of them
make new homes, the inevitable trend
of divorce is to break up many more
homes than it builds up, and to mater
, tally reduce the number Of children.
, When marriage is dissolved the true
home ceases to exist, the parents and
. children are separated, and the sweet
, ties that bind father and mother to
their offspring and to each other are
broken forever.
II appeal to all patriotic citizens
good men of every creed and no creed
to unite in urging the adoption of
my amendment, which has for it's OBJ
ject the preservation of the home
aye, the preservation of the republic
home, which gave us our earliest
and best lessons in morality; home
where we were taught to love, honor
and obey our parents and all lawful
superiors; home, where we received
, our first idea of government, little
state in which our fond parents were
: the rulers, and we, their children
were willing subjects; home, the
greatest protection from anarchy, the
strongest defense against socialism
and the chief bulwark of society;
home, the maker of good citizens and
the model on which every wise gov.
| arnmnnt ia founded"