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Show POLYGAMY IN ALL STATES. Cardinal Gibbons Pronounced on the Viciousness of Divorce. Newark, N. J.. Oct. 8. Cardinal Gibbons, Gib-bons, at his residence in Baltimore, declared de-clared that polygamy existed in every state of the Union, and that the public school system was vicious and imperfect. imper-fect. Asked his opinion of a report that President Roosevelt will recommend in his message, to congress an inquiry looking to a national divorce law, Cardinal Car-dinal Gibbons said: "I am not aware of the president's, retentions, but-any legislative measure that is calculated to check the growth of this social evil should be hailed with I satisfaction." I "Do you believe there should be anv kind of a law granting divorce9" "Of course not; I am in favor of thr strict application of the gospel teac'i-ing," teac'i-ing," said the cardinal. "We are confronted con-fronted in this country by polygamy T mean the polygamy that exists in every state of this Union, and there is no law against this kind of polygamy, but, rather laws that recognize it. and mata it possible. There is a law against po-15 po-15 gamy such as exists in Utah "Is not the law of divorce a' virtual shane -fATMOrm?niSra " a dified shape? Mormonism consists of simultaneous simul-taneous polygamy, while the law of divorce di-vorce practically leads to successive polygamy. po-lygamy. Each state has on its statute books a list. of causes, or rather pretexts, pre-texts, which are recognized as sufficient grounds for divorce. There are in all rifllr-TT ca"ses...st of themao" - i in,cna.racter. and in some states granntinJvHS- a"d -,,ne' the Power of fionntof tbV"? 1 to tbe discre: "Evidences are accumulating each year that the cancer of divorce is ran idly spreading over the country and po.soning the fountains of the nation iiSSJ'iS-r11 ,,s checked by ss speedy and heroic measures the verv existence of our family nte ,s imperu7 How- can we call ourselves a Christian rop,c if we violate a fundamental law of Christianity? And if the sanctity j , i and indissolubility of marriage does not constitute a cardinal principle of Christianity, we are ut a loss to know what does. - "Let the imagination picture to itself the fearful wrecks caused by this rock of scandal, and the number of families that are cast adrift on the ocean of life. Great stress Is laid upon the observance of the Sabbath by moralists. But what a mockery is the external repose of the Christian Sabbath to homes from which domestic peace has been baui.shed bv internecine war, where the mother's heart is broken, the father's spirit is crushed, and where children nannn I cling to one of their parents without exciting ex-citing the hatred or jealousy of the other. And, these melancholy scenes are followed by the final act in the family when the family ties are dissolved dis-solved and the hearts that vowed eternal eter-nal love and union are separated to meet no more. "This social plague calls for a radical cure, and the remedy can be found only in the'abolifion'of our mischievous legislation leg-islation regarding divorce and the hon- est application of the gospel. If persons i contemplating marriage were persuaded persuad-ed that once united they were legally debarred from entering into second wedlock, they would be more circumspect circum-spect before marriage in the choice of a nte. partner; and would, be more patient afterward in bearing the yoke and tolerating tol-erating each other's infirmities." |