Divorce.--Another of the crying evils of the day, and one which menaces
in a most alarming manner the most sacred interests of society, is the
facility with which divorces may be obtained. In some States the laws
regulating divorce are so notoriously loose that scores and even
hundreds of people visit the States referred to every year with no other
object than to obtain a dissolution of the bonds of matrimony. The
effect of this looseness in the laws is to encourage hasty,
inconsiderate marriages, and to make escape from an uncongenial partner
so easy that the obligation to cultivate forbearance and to acquire
mutual adaptation which may not at first exist, is wholly overlooked.
The Bible rule for divorce, laid down by the Great Teacher, is little
regarded in these degenerate days. He made adultery the only legitimate
cause for divorce; yet we now see married people breaking asunder their
solemn marriage ties on the occurrence of the most trivial difficulties.
If a couple become tired of each other and desire a change, all they
have to do is to forward the fee to a New York or Chicago lawyer, and
they will receive back in a short time the legal papers duly signed,
granting them the desired annulment of their vows.
Although countenanced by human laws, there can be no doubt that this
shameless trifling with a divine institution is regarded by High Heaven
as the vilest abomination. In no direction is there greater need of
reformatory legislation than in this. The marriage contract should be
recognized in our laws as one which cannot be made and broken so lightly
as it now is. It should be annulled only for the most serious offenses.
The contrary course now pursued so frequently is most detrimental to
morals. Our divorce laws virtually offer a premium for unchastity.
Not infrequently we see among the advertisements in the newspapers
notices like the following: "The undersigned is prepared to furnish
divorces to parties desiring the same at moderate rates, in short time,
and without publicity. ---- ----."
The animus of these advertisements is fraud. The parties so engaged
are the vilest scoundrels; and that they are allowed to continue to
ply their nefarious vocation is a foul blot upon the enlightened
civilization of a so-called Christian country. A publisher who will
insert such a notice in his journal, would advertise a brothel if he
dared. While there is so much interest in the suppression of obscene
literature, we would suggest that the proper authorities should direct
their attention to the suppression of unlawful divorces, and the proper
punishment of the villains engaged in forwarding this nefarious
business.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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