St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-31

but mere contracts between parties de-
string to live together. The tendency
all over the country is toward looSening
the bonds. Imove that the committee,
when it rises do recommend this bill
to not pass.
Mr.. Hoyt quoted extensively from
history to demonstrate that all the evils
Detailing mankind originated in lax
divorce laws, and deprecated the French
system of orgasm.
Representative Ives-I believe that l
introduced this bill. If it be fact that
willful desertion is a legitimate ground
for divorce, then some reasonable time
should be fixed for securing freedom
/ have never known before that the
French Revolution was caused by OIL
vorces, and if the member from Good
hue says Rome had no divorces for 800
wears. I would ask. where is
Rome now?' L claim that where
discord and discomfort exist be-
tween husband and wife, the
law should only require that such time
has expired as will satisfy the court
that further relations between them are
impossible. claim that the man who
Will desert his wife and his baby for
one year is no longer deserving of the
name of husband. drafted this bill
for one year, but the judiciary commit
tee thought two better. claim that it
a divorce will best improve the interests
of a patty, nothing should rivet upon
HIM or her the continued misery of his
OF her marital relations.
Representative Lane-In eight out of
ten cases of desertion it is the husband
who deserts the wife and gives her no
tice that she must shift for herself. Is
it right that she should remain tied to
this worthless brute Tor three years?
This is bill in the interests of decency.
| am an advocate of divorce. L believe
that it is a divine institution. | hope
the bill will pass.
Representative Smith, am unalter-
ably opposed to anything that makes
our divorce laws loOSer than they are
now. The gentlemen grow pathetic.
The state of Minnesota has an unenvi-
able reputation in this respect. If you
will make the time limit five years
will vote for it. We are not legislating
in the interests of deserted women, but
of loose morals.
Representative Morgan-l favor this
bill. The term ''willful desertion'' i'm
plies absolute abandonment. The one
deserted should not be kept bound over
two years.
Representative Hoyt-I wish to an
swer the gentleman from Ramsey by
saying that if he will go to communities
where anarchiSm predominates he will
find free love existing.
Representative Ives-I don't under
stand that divorce relates to free love.
l dispute the statement OF the gentle
man from Hennepin that one judge is
oil oil Of fin1n in
county trying divorce eases. He is not
occupied half of his time.
This law relates to the one point,
willful desertion, and no other-the
point where wives and babes are de-
serted by worthless brutes.
Representative G. r. Davis - The
chief aim of this bill is to better the
cause of humanity. The purpose of
our institutions is to increase marriage.
If divorce laws are too stringent, the
tendency is to decrease marriage. L do
not advocate litigation, but better a
thousand cases in law than that one
couple should writhe under the calling
chains of matrimonial infeliclty be-
cause of severe divorce laws.
Representative Smith did not in
tend to say that all of the time OF our
judges in Ramsey and Hennepin
counties was taken up with divorce
cases. | meant to say the greater
portion. Laxness of divorce laws and
loose morals go together.
Representative Iyes-I have an idea
that the stringency of divorce laws and
laXnesS of morals go together.
On the Hoyt motion to kill the bill,
there ware Sc yeas and 46 nays. The bill
was recommended to pass by an almost
unanimous vote.