The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-09-12
CONFLICTING LAWS.
CHANGES NEEDED.
Uniform State Laws.
Youth s Companion.

Youths CompnajoR.
One Of the most serious defects in
our mode Of government Is the absence
Of uniform system Of laws. The laws
Of the United States are, Of course, su-
p>crac 14revery state, but the subjects
with which they deal are strictly limit
ed by the federal Constitution, and
everything which lies outside j. within
the jurisdiction Of the several states.
Acts permitted by local laws or toler-
ated by local sentiment may be Of such
a character a. seriously to compllcate
the relations OF the United States with
other governments, and yet may be
wholly beyond the control OF the
general government. The attack upon
Italians ln--New Orleans in 1891, and
many anti-Chinese riots in Western
states are instances in point.
Each Of the forty-four states has It's
own code Of laws, to which at every
session Of its legislature large additions
are made. There are wide differences
and conflicts among the laws. Busl-
ness practices which are permissible in
some states are forbidden in others.
Offences which are visited with heavy
penalties in one state are not punished
ut all in another state adjOinlng; and
sometimes a house which happens to
be crossed by a state line is in request,
because certain acts which would be
illegal at one end of it are legal at the
other.
Marriage and divorce laws differ
widely. Marriage relations forbidden
in one state may be entered into under
the more lax laws of another, and the
dence in the state from which they
came. A husband may desert his wife,
and after living a short time in another
state procure a divorce, and sometimes
it IS possible to conceal knowledge Of
the proceedings from her until the
decree Of divorce has been granted
There are no means of recOnciling
these conflicting and contradictory pro-
| visions of law except by agreement
among the states. An attempt has
| been made IN this direction through
/ the appointment by the several states
l., mol
conference to consider measures tor
| promoting uniform laws. New York
took the initiative IN 1870, and Othef
states have followed its example. Prob
| ABLY thirty states will be represented at
the conference in Saratoga this month
The conference has no powers be
vOnd discussion and recommendation
It recommends no law until it has beer
approved with absolute unanlmlty at
two meetings Business forms were
first considered. A uniform law TO
the acknowledgement and execution @
deeds was adopted then one prescrlb
inc the form of seal ; then statues
to wills and their probate.
Legislation as to the weights OF tn
: bushel or barrel was next considered
e There are now variations which pro
1 mote confusion and fraud tor example
t a bushel of oats is thirty pounds /
t New Jersey and thirty-twO pounds
4 New York. The conference has recon
e nended the abolition of days OF grace
q proposed code concerning bills, note
g and checks and considered other que
r. tiOns of business law.
I All the states appointing commission
e ers expressly directed them to deal wit
= marriage and divorce. Touching tt
e first. the conference has recommend
e. that some ceremony, or 1ormallty,
It written evidence, signed by both partl
st and attested by one or more Wltnesse
g be required IN all marriages ana tn
re stringent provision be made tor the
O. immediate record, however sOlemnlz
le or entered into.
is Regarding divorce, it was hopeless
re seek agreement concerning causes al
Id methods. but the conference recOl
40 mended that no divorce be grant
to unless the defendant is domlclled
K has been domiciled within the stf
er- where the action is brought, or t
II, been personally served with proc
within the state This would put
end to the stealthy procuring OF div
oos in other states than that in whl
the parties reside
Few as have been the reccon1men
is tlons of the conference, those that hs
rid been adopted by state legislatures NJ
he been fewer. The work Of securl
ose uniformity in state laws must be s.
rIl- and difficult, and partial at the be
hnt As the reasonableness OF 1t cor
- 10 be understood, the commission
the will be reinforced by a strong pui
llle sentiment.
ide
M Friend-And you are very happy