The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-03-03


ably by the Judiciary committee.of The
senate. providing that the term o. res
idence In oklahoma should be one
year before petition for divorce IL
filed. congressman and senators are
being urged TO pass this measure for
the "relief Of oklahoma, as some Of
its sponsors pat ~, but according to
Washington dispatches they are not
displaying a large amount Of cnthusi.
asm.
According TO adViccs from the capi-
tol, Miss Mont made quite talk bc.
fore the committee and held that the
Oklahoma divorce law was not only q
disgrace to the territory, but to the
country. She naively the informed
Lawmakers that she had spen seve-
raj mouths in the wilds of Oklahema,
and that all her efforts to edify and
lift the people 10 a higher plane
OF living. by instituting missions,
were considerably impaired by obnoX-
ious laws, which wcrc hurtful 90 the
young and old--laws which allowed
murderers TO roam at large as much as
the outlaws who infested the terrific
ry." She held that the territorial
lcgislativ bodies were mere farces
and that the statutes OF the new coun-
try were made mp Of class legislation. "
The kind, grateful missionary argued
that the divorce law was tho basis for
an unholy traffic. and that the east
was raked by representatives Of Okla
homa attorneys in search of ill.match-
cd couples who wanted their CALLING
matrimonial yokes quickly and expe-
ditiously severed in ninety days at a
stipulated stipend. The Legislature of
the territory had enacted the ninety.
day law, but the good woman thought
congress should step in and end 1.-The
farce, not only in Oklahoma, but in all
states and territories which are bid
ding against each other for divorce
business" She thought that an
amendment to the constitution should
be adopted prescribing uniform di-
vorce law for all Al lies and terrific
ries
The last IA the only really truthful
and sensible statement offered by
Miss Moffit before the congressional
committee. il she is correctly quoted.
AS far as territorial laws are concern
ed, the divorce law in particular, the
missionary has largely overdrawn the
situation in this territory. The di e
vorce statute OF Oklahoma is in no
wise harmful and has not lowered the
moral tone or dignity of the territory
to any perceptible degree II at alt On
the other hand il has served TO keep
Oklahoma 10 the front and has been
the means of bringing over $500, 900 TO
the territory, which would otherwise
have gone To North Dakota or else
where Congress, of course, has the
right to change existing territorial
| laws, but in this instance it should ig-
more the pleas OF self-constituted
moralists and refuse to meddle with
hills enacted by our legislature. Tn,
national lawmakers leave Oklahoma tC
! legislate for itself on other affairs OF
internal policy and they should do so
/ in this The present divorce law $
| have not caused So much of the un-
favorable comment from disinterested
people, but INSCRIPTIONS and Jockey
ing lawyers hiding behind and dis
torting the statute, for personal gain,
have been the real promoters of the
backcapping work.
As a rule those who come here for
dissolution uf marital bonds are quiet,
orderly, self-respecting people and il
is hard to comprehend why they
should produce an evil effect on the
territory and initiate against It's
moral standard.
II congress is anxious to correct the
alleged evils of Oklahoma II should be-
gin further up the list aud If saint
like missionaries desire to establish a
nobler and more ehivalric cult among
our people they can adopt for more
profitable means than that of knitting
the people upon returning from the
"wilds Of Oklahoma" to the effetc
/ east