The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-02-06
PROPOSES TO MAKE
DIVORCE ILLEGAL
Al Honor 10 South CaroIin,
Says RansdeH.
DIVORCE EVIL SPREADING.
LOUISIANA senator Advocates a Con-
stitutional Amendment Making
Marriage Tie IndissoIubIe

washington, Feb, 4.-Divorce with
the right 10 remarry would be nno.
hibtted forever in the United State,
and in all places under the nationIS
jurisdiction by an amendment IN tho
redeTal onstitution proposed in the
enatc today by Senator Ransdell. ~
marriage laws for all states and terri
tories with provision for separation
without premission to remarry, would
be directed by the amendment.
With the states of the Union grant
ing more then twice as many divorces
as all the rest of Christendom COM
bined SrnGtor Ransdell told his coll
leagues that the time had come for
the nation itself to put down this
menace to "the chief bulwark of So
ciety, the homc-the maker of good
citizens and the model on which ev-
cry wise government is founded"
DIVORCE EVIL SPREADING.
"Th remedy by constitutional pro-
hibition is drastic" said the senator
but the malady is so fatal that
nothing short of it will prove efica-
cious. In the United States divorce
is spreading with alarming rapidly.
1t has permeated every walk of life.
and is prevalent among every class
of people. The total number of di-
vorces granted in 1867 was 9,937 or
27 por 100000 population or forty
years later, in 1906 there wore 72,O62
divorces, or Sc per 100000; thus in
actual numbers there were more than
z times as many divorces granted in
1906, as in 1867, or allowing for tho
increased population divorce had in
creased 319 per cent.
eff 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 con ntury we will have
annually in the United States 276 di-
vorces per 100, 900 population, or one
divorce for every five marriages.
FOLLOWING BEATEN PATH.
eff the United States were to write
in the constitution an amednment
prohibiting absolute divorce, 1t would
not be taking such radical step as
might at first be thought, but would
/ be following n beaten path. Our own
state of South Carolina-all honor to
/ her-forbids divorce. 1t is absolutely
prohibited in Italy, Spain and to two
/ thirds of the population of Austria
Hungary, while the Latin-American,
countries of Mexico, Argentine Re
public, Brazil Peru Chile, and 9TH
ers have similar laws.
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 IMAM
it builds up. and to materially reduce
the number of children. When mar
riage is dissolved the true home
ceases to exist: the parents ana the
children are separated; and the sweet
ties that bind father and mother 10
Hoir offspring, and to each other, are
broken forever.
CASE OF THE ROMANS.
"As long as the Romans of old
looked upon marriage rs sacred and
held the sanciety of the home lnVlo-
I,tc their arms we're invulnerable,
and Rome became mistress of the
world. But with the accumulation or
colossal wealth came great iaXity OF
morals; marriage became a jest an anu
child bearing a useless burden. me
luxurious Romans lost all respect TOT
/ female chastity; the heroic virtues OF
tn cir early years were forgotten, ana
! the Empire fell the victim or luxury
and disregard for the binding ehectS
/ Of marriage.
"Shall not the United States take
warning from Rome's example