The Washington herald., 1920-05-09


Mrs. Rafter's views are a cha
lenge to the widely publishe
statement of Rev. Arnold Kelle
of New Haven, Conn, who say
the increasing number of divorc
cases will be a blessing unit
American life has been entirel
Christianized."
Thinks Children Hold.
Mrs. Rafter believes the respor
sibility of children to be the gres
tie of married life; Mr.. Keller be
lieves it to be love of man fo
woman. ,-.
Here are the salient points G
the Washington woman's "divorc
creed, as she outlined them in tn
drawing room of her home at 2II
Nineteenth street northwest, to
Sunday Herald reporter:
Society should oSfrGciee eVery
man or 7ComdH Iclo deserts the
homo, Just as leper sVoHld. be
stunned BY all.
The 5porSt criminal on Garth is
the one 1Uho helps to break up q
home.
EUcry girl has q hope chest for
material things; she should haze
q SPiritHol cGSket ~ 1Vhieh to
sto1r knoacicdgc of married life.
Every diVorcc can be traced TO
the father aud mother 1UIro failed
in their duty of preparing the
daughter or sou for marriage.
Should Stand by Contract.
The father shrks his RESPONSE
biIity; the daughter poys the
:. PsNaiIy +N
No matter sVjidt HAPPENS the
husband and 1Uifc should stand
by" their contract aud accept
their duty.
Until parents train children in
home mokiHg' there 1ViH be di-
VOrce courts oil oVcr the land.
Il have extremely vivid conviC
tions that divorce should not b
made so easy" said Mrs. Rafter, a
she ushered the reporter into
home that breathed happiness an
content. Il have felt keenly 70
many years that something shoul
be done TO teach boys and girls tina
is an overwhelming re
and not merely a jun
keting party for jolly good TIM
Have No Vision of Children.
III our young people we're traine
that way they would not enter S
easily, so flippantly, into marriage
They should be trained to kno'
what they are doing, and the cas-
of getting a divorce should not
in their thoughts when they ar
planning marriage, but rather tn
future of the country. So many q
them have no vision of the childre
that must and will come to them.
- And then Mrs. Rafter told of
wedding which is to occur mex
week. For weeks and months tn
has been upset preparin
for it. making clothes, getting tn
awning up. ordering flowers. Bu
has the mother given one momer
to the serious preparation of he
daughter for the new life she is I
lead?
IF / could take census OF tn
in Washington thI
year." said Mrs. Rafter. where tn
girl has been trained to realize sh
is founding a little group for tn
up of the home and natioi
it would be a pitifully small mum
ber of the hundreds of marriag
licenses issued"
Tells of Love Tragedy
Mrs. Rafter told Of one prominer
man whose wife is ito
good" She is a beautiful and al
tractive woman. but she is so goo
il is tiresome to live with her, I
talk to her. Her husband deserte
her five years ago and is living in
hotel in the city, leaving his wifi
with the care of the two sweet, love
ly children. He undertook the join
contract of giving those childre
life and he ought to be made I
finish IT. Instead, he gets immu
nifty and his practice continues t
grow, while his wife gets pity. So
siety ought to make him carry ou
MS obligation"
Then she told of father VIII,
says his 20-year- oil,
laughter is mot responsible" Tn,
laughter runs of with a man. an,
he fails to turn out the sloriou
.reature of her hopes. Not respon
sible.' No. but her father is. Sh,
pays the penalty of her father
oily"
only by building up, public opin
on can that father be brought {,
realize his sin, is the belief of Mrs
Rafter. who says every man ant
woman who believes in the hom,
should ostracize every man O
woman who wail4 of. and shirks tn,
or marriage or o
raining children
Home-Breaker a Criminal.
do l ever help In getting di
gorce? No. The worst criminal OF