The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-05
DIVORCE MENACE
IS GRAVE PROBLEM
Senator Ransdcll Says 1t Is Time
for Nation to Put Down
Evil.
HE PROPOSES AMENDMENT
Right to Rcmarry Would BE
Prohibited Forever in
United States.

Washington, February 4.-Divorce
with the right to rcmarry would DO
prohibited forever in the United states
and IN all places under the nations
jurisdiction by an amendment to the
Federal Constitution proposed In the
Senate to-day by Senator Ransdcll. of
/ Louisiana. Enactment of uniform
marriage laws for all States and Ter
ritories, with provision for separation
without permission TO remarry, would
| be directed by the amendment.
With the States of the Union grant
ing moro than twice as many divorces
| as all the rest Of Christcndom com
bined, Senator Ransdcll told his col
| lcaues that the time had come for the
nation itself to put down this menace
! to the chief bulwark OF society, the
home-the maker of good citizens md
the model on which every wise gov
eminent is founded"
The remedy by constitutional pro-
hibition is drastic" said the Senator
but the malady Is so fatal that moth
ing short of IL Will prove cfticacious
| In the United States divorce is spread
in with alarming rapidly. 1t has per-
meatcd every walk OF life. and is pre-
Nalent among every class Of people
The total number Of divorces granted
in 1867 was 1887, or 81 per 100000
population. Forty years later, In 1906
there were 72,062 divorces. or Sc per
Ioo,Ooo: thus, in actual numbers there
were moro than seven times as many
divorces ranted in 1906 as in 1867, or
| allowing for the increased population
divorce had Increased 3la per cent
Rapid Growth Indicated.
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 2T5 al
vorces per 100000 population. or one
divorce for every five marriages
"It the United States were to write
in the Constitution an amendment pro-
hibiting absolute divorce. IT would not
be taking such n radical step as might
at first be thought. but would be fol-
lowing beaten path. our own State
OF South Carolina-all honor to her
forbids divorce. II is absolutely pro-
hibtcd in Italy, Spain. and to two
thirds of the population OF Austria
Hungary. while tho Lntin-Amcrican
countries Of Mexico. Argentine Repub-
lie, Erazil. Peru. Chile, and others have
similar laws.
while many excellent people arc d.
rorccd 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 materially reduce
the number OF children. When mar
riage Is dissolved the true homes ceases
TO exist; tho parents and the children
are separated: and the sweet ties that
bind father and mother to their on
spring. and to teach other are broken
forever.
".As long the Romans OF old
looked upon marriage as sacred, and
held the sanctity of the home inviolate.
their arms were lnvulnerable, and
Rome became mistress of the world
But with the accumulation of colossal
wealth came great laXity of morals;
marriage became n jest. and child bear
ing useless burden. The luxuries
Romans lost all respect for female
chastity; the heroic virtues OF their
early years were forgotten, and the
cmpric fell, the victim OF luxury and
disregard for the binding effects Of
| marriage.
shall not the United States take
warning from Rome's cxample?'