The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-08-31
STATISTICS ABOUT
THE SUFFRAGETS

A friend sends in the following
statistics, from which you make what
deductions you please, as we have al
ways found him reliable. His position
in life enables him to write disinter-
estedly as well as interestingly. We
don't entirely agree with him about
divorce, for we think when two peo-
lple can't live together in harmony
they had best live apart. We are
not willing to insist that equal suf-
frage viii bring about more divorce.
We should judge by the conduct of
the leading suffragets of this state,
those among them who are married,
that they make pretty good side
lpartners-fact is, we have never
heard of a divorce scandal among
them. Divorces are as much the fault
of men as women, and we do not be-
lieve it is affected by any public ques-
ton. The letter follows:
Editor Star: A glance at the sta
tistics will show that the suffragetta
who is now about to WELD the gavel,
and put the world into line, must start
at home, and by the expression "at
home" we mean at home, right here
in Ocala, in Florida, everywhere in
the United States.
For the first eight months of this
year, there has been commenced in
the circuit court of Marion county,
on the chancery side, 1O3 cases, of
which 81 were divorce cases, and the
remainder were for foreclosure, par
tition, injunction, quieting title, and
la few other minor affairs. In other
wsfds, more than 55 per cent. of the
business of the chancery court is
given over to the divorce evil.
Up to the Both Of this month, there
was filed in the clerks Office Is cases,
of which IA were divorce cases. six
mortgage foreclosures, one injunction,
one partition, for for quoting title,
and one for the adoption of a child
This is ratio of nearly three to
two, notwithstanding this has been
the warmest month Of the year, and
probably the warmest August we
have had in ten years. Just why
Doug and Mary didn't come here we
can't understand. for Reyno can't
beat this
During the same eight months,
there has been granted in this county
279 marriage licenses: there was
granted during the menth of August,
that is up to the 30th, 80 license,
which makes an average of one to
every FIVE for the first eight months,
and one to every 21k for the month
of August.
So far as we can ascertain, this has
been a banner year for divorces, and
If our information is correct, the
proportion here is much less than in
other centers; thus in Tampa, we are
Informed that the ratio of divorces
is almost one to every three mar
riages, and the same is probably true
of Jacksonville, Miami and Pensa-
cola.
According to records, about 65 per
cent of these divorce suits are
brought by women, and only about IS
per cent of them are litigated. that
is, defended, so that the records are
usually short, and in many places
the suit is filed, the answer with it,
and the divorce is granted at the
same time. The average time of get
ting divorce in this state is less than
thirty days, any in many instances
less than thirty minutes.
Therefore. our voting sisters should
begin on this problem, as they can
aid in many ways, first by making the
causes of divorce less, and second, by
adopting some more discouraging
means of separation than thirty min
utes court proceeding, and twenty
dollar lawyers fee.
No one, we think, who has made
it study, would for an instant APP
prove of repeating the divorce laws;
they are as old as any historical re-
cord, and since the days Of Moses
have been recognized as part of the
Judicial system. but we seriously
doubt if Moses would have ever writ
ten it into his laws if he had for a
moment thought that it would be
perverted as it is today. With an
average ratio of twenty-five per cent
of the marriages resulting in divorces,
we think our incoming sisters. to
who we must soon turn over the ship
of state, should take some stern
measure to at least curb the run on
the divorce courts.