Evening star., 1925-10-06
Alimony Denial Evokes
Wide Editorial Comment

Would there he fewer divorces, and
the country abolished alimony? This
question has been brought into the
forum by decision Of Justice Strong
Of New York that no woman asking
divorce is entitled to support unless
she is a mother or ncapacitated
Justice Strongs pronouncement,' .
as viewed by the Columbus Ohio
State Journal, lis indicative of an in.
evitable tendency. Equality for wom-
en- is not all cakes and ale and alimony.
Additional privileges bring additional
responsibilities. 1t is absurd for d
woman TO think that the law should
regard man as an equal when that
suits her convenience and as tyrant
when that Is to her advantage" To
this the New Orleans Tribune adds
that lit might prove easier for many
women. especially childless ones. to
earn a living by their own work than
it is for them to wrest unwilling trib-
ute from the men TO whom they are
no longer wives"
In the opinion Of the Newark Eve
ming News the attitude of the WON.
an who is both free and supported is
not admira Bile, but is contrary 10 the
spirit OF sex equality. A truer woman
liness," continues the News, lis found
in the women who are too Independent
to let q man they have ceased to love
and live with support them. They
would rather endure the hardships Of
supporting themselves and have the
freedom and self-respect that go
with it
>oH 10
fewer II courts generally follow the
action OF Justice Strong and refuse
to allow alimony to childless wives
seeking separation or divorce The
CAPITAL believes the whole question
applies only to certain women as the
great ma jority of married women are
mothers and are not in the industries,
but devoted to their homes and fami-
lies
'"rhe truth of the matter is the
Greenville News observes. that many
women who seek alislony were de-
pendent upon themselves for support
before marriage and are just as able
to support themselves after the matri-
moniaI disaster as before. However.
this In one Of many little by-products
Of divorce which South Carolina does
not have to worry about"
Against the position taken by the
court. however, is the assertion by the
Worcester Evening Gazette that
much is to be said for the woma n
who finds her marriage wrecked,
childless though she be-" The Gazette
continues: Glib talk about feminism
and the modern equality OF the sexes
does not alter the fact that many
women have been brought up on the
principle that woman's place is in the
home, which means that they are vir.
tually uneQuipped to earn a living
outside of the home" 1t is similarly
argued by the st. Paul Dispatch that
1.-The wiser doctrine is the existing one
that since she has helped her husband
directly to accumulate property she
should have a share of it under such
unhappy conditions, children or no
children" The Manchester Union OBJ
serves that sometimes wives are phys
icaliy and mentally competent to work.
vet may lack the business or profes-
sional training"
"The childless wife. If young and
strong. perhaps with an industrial or
ONCE experience" according to the
New York World. may be as well
able AZ the husband to earn her liv-
ing. 1t Is a different case where a
woman has no industrial experience
or training and has been housekeep-
ing long enough to make her entry
upon wage earning difie4lt." Even
more positively does the Brooklyn
Daily Eagle declare that there is a