The Washington times., 1922-03-11
DECEIT TERMED
|. LEADING CAUSE
. .IND|v0RCEE EVIL
San Francisco Judge Gives
Opinion After Twenty
Years on Bench.
BY WILLIAM G.. CAYCE.
international News Service.

international News Service.
SAN FRANCISCO. CAL. March
11.-Deceit, fibbing. just plain
lyng--or whatever name one
cares to give prevaricatioh-is the
chief cause for the ever increas-
ing number Of divorces today.
At least such is the reason as
signed for the severing of marital
relations by Judge Thomas f..
Graham, for more than twenty
years on the superior court bench
here and who, despite his more
than Statewide reputation as the
"great reconciler," has granted
thousands of divorces.
Honesty Urged as Remedy.
And as a proper remedy for the
present day divorce evil Judge Ora.
ham suggests honesty between hus-
band and wife regarding every mat
ter of mutual interest to them.
Back of the majority OF d.
vorce suits filed here-and II must
be true of other cities--is deceit
by either the husband or wife,"
said the jurist. 1T have run
across scores of variations Of fibs.
lies, white lies, half truths and
vicious deceits. Wives. as well as
husbands, are guilty Of deceit. but
in most cases where a marriage Is
of short duration 1t will be found
that the young husband Is the one
chiefly to blame.
"Often he makes the mistake OF
starting matrimony without making
his bride his full confidante. He
earns, say $3.50 a month. During
the courtship he tells. her his in
come Is more than that. The au-
tomobile he courts her In is not
naid for. There are monthly pay
ments that must be met, but the
girl knows nothing of them.
Deceit Continued.
HE hints vaguely at a bank ac-
count. They are married, and the
deceit continues. The young bride,
perhaps from a home where there
has been little need of economy.
unknowingly spends more than her
husband earns. Bills begin to ar
rive. Still the husband does not
confess the real limit of his sal
ary, but vainly tries to bluff It out.
hoping against hope for a change
Of luck or a semi-expected raise in
salary which never comes.
"Quarrels over money and un-
paid bills begin to mar the home
life Of the young couple. The out
look is dreary to the young wife,
who fears that every ring OF the
doorbell Is that of a bill-collector.
The husband begins to worry and
Is short t-tempered and cross. Things
go wrong at the office. and he
takes 1t out in short. spiteful words
at home.
divorce proceedings are filed,
and friends are amazed. They
seemed such a happy couple all
''But back of It all Is the deceit
practiced by the husband during
the courtship and maintained
through the short married life.
There are cases also where the
wife In guilty OF deception. She
buys clothes beyond her husbands 8
means, charges them and deceives
her husband about their cost. When
she makes the purchases she ex-
poets to pay for them, but how
she is going to get the money 10
another question. She trusts to
luck, and usually the husband gets
the bills, and there is a scene.
tears and bitter words-then di.
vorce.
"Intemperance, of course. Is a
major factor in divorce cases, but
investigation shows that intemper-
ance is the result, not the cause,
of married unhappiness," said
Judge Graham.
And here the Judge. who has
sent many couples reunited from
his courtroom. pointed out the rem
edy that might curb the evil.
Husband and wife who trust
each other, who harbor no secrets
from each other, who kiss at part
ing and kiss at the evening reunion,
never get into the divorce courts.
THE woman who loses at bridge
and tries to hide her losses from
her husband is making the gravest
mistake.
"The husband who keeps his
business affairs to himself and de-
ceives his wife when things go
wrong is courting marital disaster.
"All women like to be trusted,
and few of them betray genuine,
full.hearted confidence.
Deceit Is the microbe OF divorce.
It is the start of all troubles that
lead to the divorce courts.
my advice to young couples just
starting out on the uncertain voy-
age of matrimony Is to be square
with each other at all times. Then
the ship will weather every storm"
he said.