Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-05
MRsFE LTONS TALKS
CONDUCTED BY
FgaS WIZ FELTON,

ne ---y~GCo Question
The daily papers of Atlanta are
all commenting on the number Of
divorces that were granted by the
courts during the week just ended
We are graveIy told that 206 cases
were settled and there are 200 other
cases on the docket waiting thei
turn to be passed through the d.
VOrce mill with the probable result
of a divorce being eventually grant
ed, as the others were settled.
To any obSerVant mind it is plain
that this result is largely due to war
conditions. This is doubtless true ana
especially in the southern states,
but the northern states were very
familiar with divorces in years pre-
Vious to the late world war. In the
year 1900 there were more than
$4,000 divorces granted by New YORK
City courts. This menacing evil has
been steadily growing for more than
three decades. The divorce wave has
reached Georgia, in Atlanta, and the
courts of Atlanta during the past
week have been averaging thirty-fiV {
and forty per day. If one can stop
long enough to count the number, VIC
should also stop long enough to say
that something must be done to stop
this deluge OF misery and disin-
teSration, or we may in these United
States of America go to ruin as dio
old Rome, that submerged itself IN
an ocean of luxury and lust.
Nothing is more certain than that
the civilization of any section OF
Kingdom or empire can be measured
by the conditions which are socially
affected by marriage and also by di-
VOrce. One husband and one wife Is
absolutely needed to give due and
proper attention and control to the
children of that particular family.
The nearer the husband and the
wife live together with similar pun
poses and inclinatiOns the surer We
obtain gOOd results in decency, hap
piness and progress. Double lives and
lax habits in either the husband OF
the wife will spell ruin to the homes
and fortunes OF that family without
question.
And the result is inevitable.
1t is the universal law OF nature
that unfaithfumess to the marriage
relation always pays the price in uu-
happiness as well as in dishonor. IL
drags down, it devastates and in
most of instances fatally destroys
character and credit.
I do not intend-do not insist that
wives OR husbands cannot-or should
not be relieved from the presence or
the contamination of adulterious life
partners or the constant contact with
drunken Iite-partners-but [ do in
CjC na CHI lO.D
perViSion Of licenses to marry as well
as heavier penalties for the sorry
men and women who are not only
tired OF their mates, but in eager
haste to marry somebody else Whoh
appeals more strongly to sexual in
fatuatlOl S.
There must be a remedy some
where, and it is UP TO the patriot
and philanthrOpiSt 10 devise d plan
that will either prevent such mar
riaSeS by Low between those VINO are
not fit to marry and bear children,
or there should be an effective pen
atty provided and enforced which
will stop this mating of indiScrim-
mate people, who are led along by
paSSiOn-1irSt to marry and then to
marry somebody else-as soon as
they get tired or disinclined. If
these discordant mates were punish
ed by forblddlng to marry again
we might be asked also how would
the situation be improved by such
prevention.
There are legal penalties for adul-
try, which could be enforced if we
had proper law enforcement, but it
stands to reason that all people who
violated the ordinance of marriage
by improper conduct should be glad
to pass the remainder of their life's
journey by remaining single. When
the war excitement was on we were
also told that IeWG conduct was the
common order of the day with SOL
diers in that city. Many of these
hopeless men and women concluded
that it was the easiest way out to
buy a license and seek a preacher,
but the war being now over they are
quickly dissatisfied and violently i'm
patent to make a new alliance.
1t is also pitiful to admit that
vampire women have invaded our
state and their habits of life and
decollete dress attracted a swarm
of needless young men to their en-
braces. There were war pensions
in sight and there was an open broad
way that led to danger and decay
and they took it.
There is no more serious problem
before this country than how to deal
with these dangers that stand out so
plainly before us.