Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-19

lawyers who specialize on divorces. stu
diousiy avoid filing their complaints in
Room and will wait for hours or days
even to file them elsewhere | endeavor
to try every case strictly on its merits
but some of these professionals have
learned that their appearing for plain
tiff is pretty fair prima facie evidence
that their given case is probably without
merit The Legislature, the grand jury
and the bar association should ltake ac-
tive steps to see that this sinister traffic
in divorce cases is curbed.
I'm the epltome of DEGREES granted dur.
ing the past three years, set out in the
fret article in The Times, the number of
divorces granted by the various courts
range from fifty eight in my court In
1918 to 634in another court in 1919. The
difference Is due to the fact that al
though an equal number is expected to
be filed in each court, those filed in Room
are not tried so soon after being fled,
many more are dismissed and particularly
are those filed by specialists more thor
oughly scrutinized. By this means
number of collision suits have been ex-
posed and DEGREES denied"
The writer Suggested; IT am curious
to hear your criticism of the press"
Judge Moll said in response: well.
that is a somewhat delicate proposition
to handle. The newspapers of Indianap-
oils have been uniformly kind to me
throughout Z have no criticism TO make
of them as a local enterprise. My views
relate to the press In general SO please
keep in mind that this is impersonal
SAYS PUBLICITY
MAY GIVE IMPETUS.
"In short. think the continuous pub
licity the divorce problem is receiving,
the too common frivolity with which
some publications treat it and the class
consciousness which some leading maya
zines first create and then exploit, are
severely and unitedly giving the divorce
movement an impetus which Is unnat-
ural, artificial and dangerous.
your own series is unquestionably Sc
riously calling the attention Of your
readers TO the awful proportion the prob
lem is assuming and you are TO be com
mended for so doing, but even at that
there is a danger that the dissatisfied Of
both sexes will read in 1t only the fact
that divorces are easy, popular, respect
able and cheap, 80 why not get one for
themselves.
'Divorce statistics, so often published
are often distorted and only partly show
conditions. Generally only the number
Of suits filed is given and the in com
garrison to the number Of marriage
licenses granted Seldom is the total Of
divorces granted and denied set out
Less often is the list Of Divorces, who
mutually remarry, considered at ALL The
very large number Of couples who be-
come permanently reconciied after suit is
filed, IS not considered in the calcula-
tion or comparison. The number Of
plaintiffs who come from other States
where divorces are difficult to secure.
reside here the minimum requisite period
and then sue. is a mere conjecture.
CONDEMNS REPUTED
HUMOROUS MAGAZINES.
THE alleged professionally humorous
magazines cannot be too strongly con
demncd for their Uniform treatment Of
the divorce problem as a matteE of cheap
wit and coarse levity. IL the same
category are the movies viii follow the
same course.
The ma gazines, otherwise high grade,
which cater 20 women readers particular
", seem to consider the divorce problem
as a question peculiarly affecting the
wife and to agitate It as a part OF their
newly acquired political and economic
rights. Such views are radically and
fundamentally wrong. The vesting OF
women with the franchise and their
modern entry Into oil tines of business
does not change the inherent nature Of
the domestic relation, and discussion OF
divorce Ia connection with either Of these
spheres Of action is entirely out OF place.
with their increased rights IN the
premises. women should be urged.
through magazines, 10 assume and dis
charge more and more the responsibilities
Of life, including forTmost those OF the
home on which society and civilization
are predlcated, as they secure more and
more authority. The two are correlative.
MATRIMONIAL YOKE
HAS PLACES FOR TWO.
mo one should be entrusted with au-
thority who is not at the same time
charged with responsibility The matri-
monial yoke always has had and always
will have places for two consorts. Each
must pun a share OF the load, Neither
public affairs nor business win ever
change this while civilization lasts and
society endures and IL viii be welle for
the magazines for women to treat the
subject differently from styles and
housekeeping stunts, which change from
season to season, and to dwell upon the
preservation and perpetuity Of the home
as the main desire rather than the shift
ing sands Of divorce as a solution.
Already too many couples. especially
the young as was so often pointed out
in previous articles by my associate
brethren Of the bench, are prone to
think of marriage as an experiment
rather than q covenant, as a temporary
relation rather than a permanent status.
And the magazines for women, us a rule,
are encouraging this notion rather than
combating It, The startling number of
persons, especially women, who apply
for divorces a second or third time. or
even oftener, discloses that this ire
sronsirle notion is not limited to
younger persons"