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$00,000 DIVORCESGranted in the United States in 20 YearsSTATE LAWS VARYDekoto Courts Accommodate Those Who are Tired of Being One— Jt is Dangerous to Give a Girl a King in New York, It Might Marry You, Whether You Dike it or Not.New York, Feb. 9,—On account of the growth of divorce in this country, the national government is collecting ftotistics from the various atateB with ft view to throwing light on the subject ftod encouraging remedial legislation. Jt Ifl estimated that there have been £00,000 divorces in the United States in the last twenty years and that 1,500.000 Children have seen their homes broken tip, Only nine states now publish divorce statistics. 'I hese are Maine. New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.So many excusesjlfor divorce have been found that the comic papers find the subject one that yields much rich material. A South Dakota wtfman recently got a divorce from her husband because he refused to pay for a pair of $ors e ts_ sheJiad _ hough t,—Gne~w ife -secured a separation from her husband because he persisted in stoning their neighbors’ cats, thus making her unpopular in the community. Another Woman who married a carpenter begged to be released from the union on account of the fear that if Bhe ever-had children they would inherit a tendency iO pound and make a noise. Mrs. Jas. Alexander, of New York state, carried Off the honors as a moBt unique divorcee by iasueing cardB that read: Mrs. Jgmes Alexander requests the honor Of your presence at the celebration of J»r divorce from Mr. James Alexander. However, it remained for a Baltimoreman to do the handsome thing by his dissatisfied wife. When he found sheWB8 in love with another man he help-ad her secure her release from himself, settled the house and a line income p» her arid crowned his generosity by giving her away at tbe wedding. . •-As a rule the states have adopted the philosophical view that it is wiser not to interfere with marriage relations ^ftt are not pleasant, and bo have been ;feliidlahfe td ehact divrotce laws. Those that have been enacted vary much in.what is considered justification* length p| legal residence required and terms of *ettlement; They rahge all the wayfrom South Carolina* with no dWotCo law at all, to Tennessee's willingness todecision its to whom one may tparry, Marriage between whites and persona of negro descent is prohibited in twenty-six states. Marriage between whites and Indians is prohibited in four states, and between whites and Chinese in five states. In Virginia a provision of old English common law... is still in—force which prohibits a man from marrying hia deceased wife's sister, though other states have laws permitting a worqan to marry any and all of her brothen-in-iaw who may be willing, provided of course she marries them one at a time.Connecticut forbids feeble minded women to marry. New Jersey decides that as the deaf and dumb do not come under the head of imbeciles they may marry within her borders. The law makera of Vermont have gravely ruled that a man may marry his mother-in-law if he likes. In some states a man is prohibited from marrying his son’s wife and a woman from marrying her daughter's husband. Ohio forbids the, marriage of a drunkard, and will actual-: ly refuae to grant a license to a man who ia drunk when he asks for it.The lawB of the statea also differ widely a to the remarriage of divorced people. In twenty-six states the divorced may remarry when, where, how and whom they ulease, without any qualifications whatsoever. In Massachusetts the defendentmay be married within ttfo years by petitioning tSe court and securing its permission. In tfaine the guilty party can never be married |without the consent of the court. In Virginia the court may forbid the defendant to marry any one but the plaintiff. In Louisiana a second marriage without divorce is valid if either party has been absent for ten eara-and-ia-not— known—by— the-other party to be living. This absence andsilence is considered sufficient to dissolve the first marriage. ^Mississippi when a wife secures a divorce her husband ie ‘ considered dead and she is counted a widow. In Tennessee a wife suing for divorce loses right of dower and can under no circumstances claim alimony.While there are four other states in the union where the term of residence necessary to secure a divorce ia just as short as in South Dakota, the last named state haa the most accommodating courts of any, and the business of granting while you wait decrees of separation to dissatisfied married people has developed into a sort of home grown industry. It has been charged that theonly stipulation necessary to get a divorce in South Dakota is the payment of six months board at a 'hotel there, The most recent instance of the hurry up” way of doing things in the northwestern state was the divorce lately granted to Mrs, James G. /. Blaine, Jr. This lady wm in a hurry to get to her home in Washington for Christmas, so the judge held a night session oi the court while upeoial train -was..-kept waiting. Before her marriage to Mr. Blaino Bhe was the beautiful Martha Hichbom, whom the society reporters called Martha in Lavendar.” Now(1aIT»J£
Newspaper Details
Raleigh Herald
Beckley, West Virginia, US
Thu, Feb 14, 1907
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Donna P.
USA 23 Apr 2018
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