Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-03-27
COUNTY DIVORCE
RATE NOT 50 HIGH
Records Show That One Out
Of Every Six Marriages
Ends In Divorce,

Salem citizens WHO have taken pains
to follow the daily reports Of legal fill
ings at the county court house may
have gained the impression that the
number of divorce cases coming up for
trial have borne too close a relation to
the number of marriages solemnized in
this county. A survey of the records
in the clerk 5 office, while they are not
pleasant reading at ell, are not so bad
as one might imagine from fellowing the
various divorce suits aired out in de.
partment No. 2. Taking the records
from January LIST, 1918, to the present
time as the basis of comparison, il is
shown that there have been 80 divoree
decrees handed out in that period, as
against 3lS marriages. This reveals the
disagreeable fact that one out of severy
six marriages leads TO q divoree-pro-
viding that this ratio holds througn u
ten-year period.
WIfe Usually Piains:ff.
In the great majority Of cases the
wife is the plaintiff, and the charge is
cruel and inhuman treatment. A major
ity of cases also show that the couples
have been married for a period of from
five to ten years, though there were in
stances where man and wife had lived
togther for rs years or more. And still
others where only u few months inter
vened between the wedding and the di-
yorce proceedings.
1t should be noticed, also, that drink
played a prominent part in the domestic
tempest, and If one were inclined to
moralize or philosophize on the situation
he only need say that any girl who mar
ried man to any degree addicted to
drink richly deserves all thar eanio 10
her,
And again, if one cared to analyze
the social conditions that make such a
situation possible, he might find a start
ing point in the flippant, frivolous light
in which the average young person Of
today regards the marriage relation.
Oregon Has High Rate. ..
In connection with the foregoing,
there is further food for thought sn
report relentlv sent in to the office Of
the secretary Of state from the census
bureau in Washington. This document
gives marriage and divorce statistics
from total of 1885 counties over a per-
iod Of one year, and it shows reco~d
of ll2,036 divorces, or about liz to l00,-
900 Of population. Taking the ratio by
states, the District of Columbia, North
Carolina and New York show the low
est percentage, while Nevada, Montana
and Oregon have the unsavory prestige
Of ranking the highest in the number of
liverces, Oregon showing 255 per l0O,-
900 Of population.
The federal report reveals further
that 80 per cent Of divorces were caused
by desertion, 2s per cent by crueisy, ii
per cent by infidelity, and drunkenness
30 per cent.
Over against the divorce record, the
-eport shows that out Of 2874 counties
there were l,O40,77S mar
riages, or los to the 10000 of pOpula-
lion, or 1850 to the 100000. The gSf
,rnment figures show that Oregon has
he lowest marriage rate per 10000 in
he United States, her quota being 65
ser 10000, while Montana-supposed to
be the outer fringe of American eiviliza.
ion-shows the highest rate, or l76 to
he 10000.
There is probably a reason for these
figures. If the reader has nothing else
N his mind he might try to figure 1t
,ut.