"It is folly to talk of the sacredness of marriage and maternity， while the wife is practically regarded as an inferior， a subject， a slave. Having decided that companionship and conscientious parenthood are the only true grounds for marriage， if the relation brings out the worst characteristics of each party， or if the home atmosphere is unwholesome for children， is not the very raison d'ê；tre of the union wanting， and the marriage practically annulled？ It cannot be called a holy relation，杗o， not a desirable one，杦hen love and mutual respect are wanting. And let us bear in mind one other important fact： the lack of sympathy and content in the parents indicates radical physical unsuitability， which results in badly organized offspring. If， then， the real object of marriage is defeated， it is for the interest of the State， as well as the individual concerned， to see that all such pernicious unions be legally dissolved. Inasmuch， then， as incompatibility of temper defeats the two great objects of marriage， it should be the primal cause for divorce.
"The true standpoint from which to view this question is individual sovereignty， individual happiness. It is often said that the interests of society are paramount， and first to be considered. This was the Roman idea， the Pagan idea， that the individual was made for the State. The central idea of barbarism has ever been the family， the tribe， the nation杗ever the individual. But the great doctrine of Christianity is the right of individual conscience and judgment. The reason it took such a hold on the hearts of the people was because it taught that the individual was primary； the State， the Church， society， the family， secondary. However， a comprehensive view of any question of human interest， shows that the highest good and happiness of the individual and society lie in the same direction.
"The question of divorce， like marriage， should be settled， as to its most sacred relations， by the parties themselves； neither the State nor the Church having any right to intermeddle therein. As to property and children， it must be viewed and regulated as a civil contract. Then the union should be dissolved with at least as much deliberation and publicity as it was formed. There might be some ceremony and witnesses to add to the dignity and solemnity of the occasion. Like the Quaker marriage， which the parties conduct themselves， so， in this case， without any statement of their disagreements， the parties might simply declare that， after living together for several years， they found themselves unsuited to each other， and incapable of making a happy home.
"If divorce were made respectable， and recognized by society as a duty， as well as a right， reasonable men and women could arrange all the preliminaries， often， even， the division of property and guardianship of children， quite as satisfactorily as it could be done in the courts. Where the mother is capable of training the children， a sensible father would leave them to her care rather than place them in the hands of a stranger.
"But， where divorce is not respectable， men who have no paternal feeling will often hold the child， not so much for its own good or his own affection， as to punish the wife for disgracing him. The love of children is not strong in most men， and they feel but little responsibility in regard to them.
See how readily they turn off young sons to shift for themselves， and， unless the law compelled them to support their illegitimate children， they would never give them a second thought. But on the mother-soul rest forever the care and responsibility of human life. Her love for the child born out of wedlock is often intensified by the infinite pity she feels through its disgrace. Even among the lower animals we find the female ever brooding over the young and helpless.
"Limiting the causes of divorce to physical defects or delinquencies； making the proceedings public； prying into all the personal affairs of unhappy men and women； regarding the step as quasi criminal； punishing the guilty party in the suit； all this will not strengthen frail human nature， will not insure happy homes， will not banish scandals and purge society of prostitution.
"No， no； the enemy of marriage， of the State， of society is not liberal divorce laws， but the unhealthy atmosphere that exists in the home itself.
A legislative act cannot make a unit of a divided family."
