The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-30
MARRIAGE LAWS.
Their Strange inconsistencies.
Weddings Quite Valid In One State
Invalid in Another.
Social Evils That Arise From tho
Operation OF Laws.
Why Congress Should Give the
Subject Early Consideration.
How Easily Some Marriages May Be An
nulled-wives Who May Readily Be
Dispensed With-How Divorces
May Be Secured by Default.

nulled-Wives Who May Readily Be
Dispensed With-How Divorces
May Be Secured by Default.
From the New York Herald.
Evils will not be cured by being
shrugged at and hushed up" says Ish in
his imaginary dialogue with Adam. "0n
the contrary, the more you whitewash the
outside the more the inside will Tester"
Many wise members Of different Legis-
latures have devoted their best efforts to
improving the marriage and divorce laws.
Admirers or apologists can be found for
system OF any one State or Territory in the
the Union, but the more the statutes are
twisted and changed the worse becomes
the fostering OF the system as a whole.
II a man is married on one side Of a
river he may be bigamist and liable to a
long imprisonment. II he crosses ferry
to have the ceremony performed, his sec
ond marriage may be perfectly valid on
both sides OF the stream.
II he introduces woman as his wife in
one State he is bound to her forli II he
lives with her for years in another she is
only his mistress unless he has complied
with certain formalites of the law.
Ii he tires OF his wife in New York State.
but has no opportunity for obtaining an
absolute divorce under our laws, he can
obtain a residence in Greenwich, Conn,
and while continuing his business here
apply for a dissolution Of his marriage
bonds upon the ground OF cruelty, for in
stance.
II he chooses TO take little longer
| journey, he can find some State or Terri.
tory where almost any complaint lac may
make will entitle him to a decree. Of
course his wife would probably be able to
have the divorce set aside by the New
York courts, but that would not interfere
with is validity in the State where Il was
granted. lie could marry again there and
the only result OF the complication would
be that he could be claimed rs husband by
different women H. different States. IIo
could continue in the same way until he
had dozen different wives, II hc felt like
so doing.
| VALID HERE, yoiD TuERE.
There Ia nothing 10 prohibit white
man from marrying a mulatto in most
States, II he desires 10 do 80, but II lac
should subsequently repent he can 20 10
Alabama aud have the marriage pro.
nounced void without naming single
grievance.
Tho marriage Of n man 10 his step.
mother or stop-daughter would be void In
Connecticut, but legal In New York.
In South Carolina divorce cannot bo
obtained on any ground. In North Caro-
lima one can be had for any reason that APP
pears sufficient 10 the mind OF the prcsd-
ing Judge.
Any one who wants 10 get free from
distasteinl matrimonial alliance can surely
do - in this great country by merely de-
voting some time aud trouble 10 the task.
The divorce may only be good In the par.
ticular spot where IL was procured, but
that is one 81 the beauties Of the system.
II n mans only excuse IL that his wife has
refused 10 accompany him 10 the place
where he has gone 10 live long enough 20
get divorced, that is enough. Il Is then
called descrtion or abandonment, and all
he would have 10 10 In New Mexico would
be 10 print the summons 4 certain number
OF times In the local paper and then take
his decree by default The only proper
course Tor woman Ia pursue when her
husband has left her Is 10 carefully scan
the advertisements Of The papers printed
In the States and Territories where ,his
system prevails. A few thousand papers
would be all she would need TO get every
day.
MARRIAGES ARE MERE EXPERIMENTS.
The facilities with which divorces may
be procured In some parts of the United
States tends 20 make marriages mere ex.
pehmcnia. The man aud woman are no
longer bound 'till death do them part"
but till one gets tired Of tho other. and
the laxiiy almost neutraliycs the funda- |
mental idea Of the perpciuity Of the mar
ringe obligation. The imposibilty OF ob. |
tanning freedom from odious bondage In |
other sections without wasting time and |
money by seeking refuge IN another State |
drives men and women 10 a life VI vice. |
Tho diilcUnt systems cover the whole |
gamut OF possibilities from the liberty Of |
license 20 the tyranny Of bigoiry.
The worst oil our social evils and political |
sins arise from the operation oi our laws. |
The judicial conflict aud uncertainty are |
discrcdilable 30 civilization.
The trouble is generally admitted. and |
has been frequently discussed for many |
years, but nothing has been done To REM |
edy IL. There Is but ono solution 10 the |
problem to establish Uniformity In place |
OF the existing diversity. As 10 the i'm. |
portance Of obtaining uniform laws there |
Is little II any difference OF opinion, aud |
the great question Is how 70 procure them. |
Tho same bankruptcy laws prevail
throughout the land, aud II Is often more |
difficult 10 break business contract than |
a marriage contract.
WHAT c0NonEs COULD no.
Congress could only pass national mar. !
riage and divorce law by an amendment 10 |
the Constitution, aud 20 get this the con- |
sent Of thrce-quarlo II the States would /
have 10 be obtained. which IA practically |
an impossibiity at the present time. Each |
State could without q doubt be induced 10 |
agreo II the assurance could DO given that |
H. own laws would be the ones adopted |
not otherwise. In New York, where the |
only cause for an absolute divorce i inf. /
deity, !, would DO very difficult 20 get |
popular consent 10 any change, NJ every
effort that has hitherto been made by men |
Who believed that infdeliiy was not the
greatest crime a husband could commit
against bis wife, has failed. II would be
equally difficult 10 induce n State whore
ten or dozen causes now exist for III.
vofce 10 give up MI but one Vt them.
II hrs been contonded that Congress
,.