ne divorce annually to each 1400
people. The several states differ in divorce-rate, from South Carolina,
with no provision for legal divorce, to Montana and Washington, where
the rate is two and a half times the average for the country. In general
the rate is about the same in the North as in the South, but greater in
the Central states than in the East, and in the Western than in the
Central states; but to this rule the New England states, Louisiana, New
Mexico and Arizona are exceptions. The New England states have a higher
rate than their geographical position would lead one to expect, and the
other three, owing doubtless, in part at least, to the influence of the
Roman Catholic Church, have a lower rate than the states about them. The
several state groups had in 1900 the following divorce-rates per
100,000: South Atlantic, 196; North Atlantic, 200; South Central, 558;
North Central, 510; Western, 712. The divorce-rate in the United States
increased rapidly and steadily in forty years from 27 in 1867 to 86 in
1906. But distinct tendencies are traceable in different regions. In the
North Atlantic group the rate rose by 58%, in the North Central by 158%,
in the Western by 223%, in the South Atlantic by 437%, and in the South
Central by 685%. The great increase in the South was mainly due to the
spread of divorce among the emancipated negroes. Each state determines
for itself the causes for which divorce may be granted, and no general
statement is therefore possible.

The ground pleaded for a divorce is seldom an index to the motives which
caused the suit to be brought. This is determined by the character of
the law rather than by the state of mind of the parties; and so far as
the individuals are concerned, the ground alleged is thus a cloak rather
than a clue or revelation. Still those causes which have been enacted
into law by the various state legislatures do indicate the pleas which
have been endorsed by the social judgment of the respective communities.
In the United States exclusive of Alaska and the recent insular
accessions there are forty-nine different jurisdictions in the matter of
divorce. Six out of every seven allow divorce for desertion, adultery or
cruelty; and of the 945,625 divorces reported with their causes during
the twenty years 1887-1906 nearly 78% were granted for some one of these
three causes, viz. 39% for desertion, 22% for adultery, and 16% for
cruelty. Probably nearly 9% more were for some c