DIVORCE LAW IN THE UNITED STATES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1894, 31 October 1913, Page 7

DIVORCE LAW IN THE UNITED STATES.

UNCLE SAM'S BIG PROBLEM. VIEWS OF EX-GOVERNOR ADAMS: "Make divorces hard to get and, you will uplift the nation," is the conviction of the Hon. Alva Adams, chief of tlvs Panama Exposition Commission now visiting Australia, and three times Governor of the State of Colorado. "Wo" want a national law," eaid tho eiGbvernor. "Wo have in our State 60 counties, and each county has a probate judge, wlio has charge of all will matters, and has jurisdiction to a certain degree on civic matters and divorce. The District Court, a higher tribunal, also has chargo of divorce, but my view is that divorce should be granted only through a national law. -The grounds should be uniform in every State in tho union, not as they are now, different wherever you go. Whereas the present grounds on which an action is brought may bo insufficient in Colorado, they may be regarded as conclusive in Kansas, tho adjoining State. Divorces aro now granted &>r the most frivolous of reasons—incompatibility of temper and reasons like that —and whereas my son, who is an . attorney, assures me that nothing is ever done outside tho law, I think a Judge should use reasonable discretion, a*id if he did lie could," without violating tho law, stop half tho divorces granted. look at Reno, ill Nevada! Why, In, the States the very name stands for divorce. Isn't' that an unholy reputation? That was until recently* tho worst town in tho whole country. People used to go there, secure domicile by six wc-eks' residence, and putting np tlis plea of desertion get -unmarried as though it was being got through a slot machine.. They used to swear, anything. Each side wanted to be rid of the other. The man had another woman, and the woman 'another man, consequently perjury was safe. Whole families used to conspire together, and the town got tho worst name in the union. Now. in the interests of decency, the law has'been changed, and divorce is not. so easy. The case of divorce, creating divorce. If thoy were more difficult to get divorces would not be as numerous.

"A Blow at Home- Life." "We want one uniform, law. We now have 18 different laws dealing with divorce, and many complications arise. Everybody knows of th« scandal. Papers talk about it, writers fill magazines with articles on it. and vet our people remain lukewarm. Why thoy should I don t know, hecanso we are a moral people, coming as we do from old English and Dutch' stock, which is as mire as anything in the world. But I believe we are moving towards a reform in these matters, and I think the tlmo is pot far distant when it. will be difficult to nut two people asunder. Tho issues should be restricted, and even they they should not be sufficient excepting unrcr very close inspection. I/ioso laws lead to immorality, and we are face to face with a great menace. It is a tragedy for any woman to be tied np to a brute, biit it is better that one or two women should suffer than that a law should exist which permits hundreds of men and women to go out and defy the ordinarv rules of decency. With strict laws hundreds and thousands of families would.get alonir fairly well on account of a little extra effort, whero now they are rent and torn by divorce. It would'iead to happiness instead of looseness. It is human nature for peoplo to take advantage of an opportunity of that kind, and I believe two angels would t>e disposed to have a fly at another marriage if tho means were easy. Bnt it strikes at, onr home life, and consequently at the solidarity of the nation. If divorce jvere less casv a good many people would lie more' careful alxwt marrying. 1 Jioro would -be no mod rush, and when they were married they would trv harder to livo comfortably."~-'Sydncy "Sun."