Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-02-17
THIRTY-FIyE DIVORCE



What are the causes Of divorces?
There are 176,156 divorced men>in
the United States and 195.2O1 divor-
ced women.
In Audrain County during 1915
there were thirty-five divorce suits
fled in the Circuit Court of which
twenty-five were fled by women.
Circuit Clerk Eppa F. Elliott says
the principal charge made in the
divorce petitions filed by women are
desertion and non-support. Those
fled by the men usually charge un-
faithfulness. In the former cases
unfaithfullness may be behind the
cause but if woman can prove de-
sertion she can secure a divorce
without bringing any undesirable
features into the case which might
not only embarass her but her chill
dren.
Mexico ministers, as are those
throughout the country, are becom-
ing more and more strict regarding
marrying divorced people. AS rule
they ask those who come to them to
be married if they have been divor-
ced? IF so they inquire the cause
anil if they do not consider it sufficient
reason refuse to perform the cere-
mony.
Circuit Judge J. D. Barnett, of the
Audrain Court, if he finds a person
seeks divorce purely for the purpose
Of marrying another refuses to grant
the petition. In some cases where
such plan is suspected but cannot
be proved he sets time limit before
they can marry by extending the per-
iod before the full separation is
granted.
Some Divorce Causes.
Judge Chas. A. Mcdonald, of Chi
cago, who had 2,O92 divorce cases
filed in his court the first six months
Of 1915 says Of the cause and cure for
divorces
eve have erotic Instrumentation
picture shows based on false notions
of what society is doing and Of the
sorts of lives men and women live
who have unlimited capital at their
disposal. We see halls Of fashion
and revels of the dance--banquets
and wine floods and all sorts Of spec
tacular oddities engaged in by those
who have made money in a hurry and
are hanging on the fringe of decent |
society in the United States.
eve have loose moral training in |
the home. There is a disposition to !
reiegate to the public school all train |
ing Of the child. The religious and
moral culture Of the child still remain
in this country matters of home work.
This may have to be changed.
Facing Facts A Cure.
Summing up, ! should say that |
the principal cause of divorce is the
false ideal. Men and women grow up |
with picture book and Sunday supple
ment ideas of life.
"These cannot survive. Life is SER
ious-at its best struggle. Only the |
stronger minded survive the pitfalls. |
The weaker we have to deal with in |
the divorce courts day after day, |
week after week, month after month.
| 1t is a condition that calls for its |
remedy.
"What is the remedy?
"Fact When man is confronted |
with certain set of facts in the way |
of salary, expense, debt and, perhaps |
fixed earning limitation, he knows
without much introspection Just where
he gets off. If he trusts to luck he
will get into the divorce court or some
other disagreeable place. 1t behooves
him to face the truth---the facts.
"What we need in aid Of better
conditions SO far as divorce is con-
cerned is more truth-less artificial
lity. If we can get wives and hus-
bands to tell each other the frank
truth about things there will be fewer
wives and husbands in the divorce
courts"