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8
Things That Are Happening
Netos Gleanings and Thoughts They ’Bring
A Victory Tor Good Morals.
One of the results of last Tuesday’s election in
South Dakota, in which the members of all politi
cal parties, and the women particularly, find cause
for rejoicing, was the triumph of good morals over
commercialism and the amendment, by referendum,
of the infamous divorce laws of the state. The
legislature some months ago passed amendments
to the statute raising from six months to one year
the term of residence in the state before persons
will be permitted to sue for divorce, with residence
in the county for three months preceding the suit,
and requiring that all hearings, except those re
lating to alimony or the granting c.f interlocutory
decrees, shall be held at regular terms of court.
Hereafter dissatisfied wives and discontented hus
bands cannot leave their proper domicle, hasten
out to Sioux Falls or Pierre, and, after spending
six months at some hotel in luxurious ease or in
pleasant travel through the state, obtain freedom
after a hearing in secret and be at liberty to go
forth in search of some new affinity.
The action by the legislature was in response to
a general demand from the best citizens of South
Dakota, and a petition from all parts of the Union
to remove the stain from the statute books and
cure an evil which amounted to a national disgrace.
Those influenced by the commercial advantages to
be derived from the old law, principally proprietors
of hotels, restaurants and saloons, asked for a
referendum on the subject, and the voters, by an
overwhelming majority, have shown to the world
that right living is more to them than private gain,
that the hearthstone is more sacred than the al
mighty dollar.
The report of the bureau of vital statistics for
1907, in which year the legislature adopted the
amendment, showed quite a decline in the divorce
business of the South Dakota courts, and that out
of 552 divorces granted, 320 were for “colonists.”
Most of these “colonists” were persons of wealth,
as poor people cannot stand the expense, which
averages about $1,500 each. With this average it
is estimated that the transient divorce seiekers
spent a total of $480,000 in the state during the
year. Naturally, those benefiting by the laxity of
the laws strenuously opposed a change; but they
were in a hopeless minority from the commence
ment of the fight.
The good citizens of South Dakota are to be con
gratulated, and their victory should be heeded in
three or four other western states where the di
vorce laws need overhauling. Traveling divorce
hunters should be discouraged in their efforts to
change wives and husbands as they would change
servants, and be made to respect the sanctity of
the marital relation. —Washington Post.
The above should be a source of gratification to
every good citizen of America.
We are glad to note that Chicago, whose reputa
tion on this question has been as unsavory as that
of South Dakota, has begun to agitate the ques
tion, and steps are being taken to have the legis
lature pass an act similar to the one ratified by the
people of South Dakota.
We need stricter laws, regulating the divorce
evil, almost everywhere. The teaching of our
Savior on this subject is plain and unmistakable.
Every reader of the Bible is familiar with it.
We, as a Christian people, should make our law
conform to His.
A Milwaukee dispatch says—“ Anton Berg, 14
years old, on whom an operation was performed
in the hope of removing an irresistible impulse to
steal, was discharged from the Trinity Hospital,
this city, and returned to his home. He said that
an aversion had come to him to theft Or crime of
any nature, and the physicians interested in his
case believe that he has been won to honesty.”
The Golden Age for November 19, 1908.
Will this solve a problem that has confronted
the people of the world from the time of Achan’s
little escapade with the wedge to the present day?
Or will it fail for lack of a sufficient number of
surgeons'?
—We note that the war department has ordered
the removal of the commanding officers who have
been stationed at Fort Hamilton, the scene of the
Hains-Annis tragedy, together with the post band,
said to be one of the largest and best in the service.
Judging from reports of the social life at Fort
Hamilton, a large part of the citizens, both men
and women, should be moved —to occupy rooms in
the same building with Capt. Peter C. Hains.
—The city of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire,
England, boasts the distinguished honor of electing
the first woman mayor, since the office was opened
to women by an act passed last year.
The name of this new mayor is Miss Dove. All
things considered, how can any citizen of this
municipality be so heartless as to stumble from the
path of rectitude?
We expect to see a record established for meek
ness and sobriety.
Think how dreadfully humiliating it would be to
be handed that modest, familiar, little request for
five and costs or fifteen days, and not be able to
produce the coin.
n
—The United States supreme court has rendered a
decision upholding the authority of states to regu
late schools as to the separation of whites and
blacks. This question has never given the people
of the south any trouble, as it was settled long ago
according to our own southern ideas. We wait to
hear what the Boston school inarm will have to
say.
*
A new and novel cure for drunkenness is pro
posed by the now famous Mr. Fletcher, who took a
hint from the wise old cud-chewing’ cow, and in
vented perpetual mastication. Mr. Fletcher has ap
plied to inebriates his discoveries relative to masti
cation, and asserts that his method has made pro
hibitionists of a large number of hard drinkers. The
remedy is simple. Instead of gulping down the
usual “three fingers” in the old, familiar way, let
ting it irradiate its sunshine in one’s internal
mechanism as prescribed in the ancient Bacchic
rites, the whisky is taken in sips by the patient or
victim, who proceeds to chew it stolidly for fifteen
or twenty minutes, gurgling it around in his mouth
until it is thoroughly insalivated. This, Fletcher
says, creates a physical intolerance of excess, and
it is not long before the victim is taking his “nips”
with a medicine dropper. Chew your whisky; that’s
the secret of temperance.
We are sure that Mr. Fletcher could get a good
sized army in Georgia who would volunteer to
“chew the cud.”
United Daughters of Confederacy.
(Continued from Page One.)
these delegates to the U. D. C. entertained that
one of the leading women from New York felt a
hesitancy in having her resolution carried to de
vote only one afternoon and one evening to social
occasions at future conventions.
Atlanta and Georgia are proud to have had this
brave and noble body of women within their bor
ders. The Golden Age joins in wishing you a
hearty God speed in your every effort.
The cities of Galveston, San Antonio, Laredo and
Brownsville openly defy the Sunday laws and all
other liquor laws. This they call “Democratic
liberty. ’ ’
GREAT IS COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.
It has ever been one of the chief arguments of
the Anti-Prohibitionists that “a city could not
prosper without the licensed saloon. Prohibition is
all right for the country districts and villages, but
the city must have the revenue from the licensed
saloon to meet its financial obligations.” This ques
tion has been argued, pro and con, wherever and
whenever the cause of Prohibition has been an issue.
When the greatest Teacher the world has ever
known, our Lord and Master, would impress upon
His disciples an important truth, He taughs them
by parables, by illustration, by example. Mightier
than the most forceful argument or eloquent ora
tory, is the tangible, real, existing fact. The record
made by the city officials of Columbus, Ga., is a
living, existing example that the affairs of a city
can be successfully administered without the reve
nue of the licensed saloon.
We get our information direct fro mthat splendid
daily, The Columbus Ledger, date of October 28th.
Listen to what they say:
The city administration for the present year will
complete its work with a balance to its credit.
This is a remarkable record, since it went into
office with a deficit of $36,435.81, and additionally
had to face the loss of $22,000 liquor revenue, avail
able in previous years, making a total of over $56,000
short upon which the administration had to carry on
the work of the municipality.
There was a special election, it is true, in which
the people voted to levy an additional tax of one
haff of a mill, and which many people yet misunder
stand to have been a whole mill, and which, instead
of enlarging the city’s revenue to over $16,000, as
they think, increased it less than $9,000.
Subtract $9,000 from $56,000 and it will be seen
what the 1908 administration had to face to accom
plish what they will by January 1, 1909.
Every single department of the city government
will have money to its credit at the end of this fiscal
year. ***** Every department has co-operated,
and a splendid financial condition will exist on Jan
uary 1, far ahead of that for many past years.
Every member of the present Council is due his
full proportion of credit for such a state of affairs,
and to Mayor Browne, who assumed office facing’
great financial problems by the apparent shortage in
revenue, the credit is exceptionally great.
The result has been accomplished without drop
ping a single member of the police force or the fire
department, as many predicted would be obliged to
happen.
The police improvements have progressed on a
much larger scale than was anticipated.
* * * *♦*♦*♦♦♦♦♦♦
All of this has been accomplished in the face of a
panic, and worked out under what is worse, its re
action.
Every member of the present City Council de
serves the highest praise for the work and results
accomplished. Through adversity, widespread in its
effect, the city has blossomed as if nothing had hap
pened.
Can you produce an argument as convincing as
this plain statement of facts? These people have
succeeded because they accepted the situation as it
was, “got down to business,” worked in harmony
and brought things to pass. If they had had a few
members of their city fathers who had kicked or
sulked, made no effort themselves to succeed, and
by their indifference or open rebellion had been,
as it were, a millstone around the necks of the
other members, the result would have been failure,
and on Prohibition would have been placed the
condemnation. Think of it —the tax rate was only
increased one-half mill; an insignificant amount.
The cost to any individual was practically nothing.
They lost $22,000 from liquor license. How much
did it cost the citizens of Columbus to enable the
saloons to furnish the city $22,000 taxes?
Not less, I would say, than SIOO,OOO. That would
amount to a tax of over six mills on all the taxable
property of the city. What a howl would go up if
the tax rate was raised this amount.
The sad feature of the license system is, that the
money, most of it, is paid by those who can least
afford it. What has been accomplished by the offi
cials of Columbus, can be by those of Atlanta,
Augusta, Macon, Savannah or any other city.
All they need is the will to do; and it will be
done.
