Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-02-03
PASS DIVORCE BILL.
LaMoure's Amendment to the Divorce
Bill Passed by the House
Yesterday.
Chairman Stevens Of the Judiciary Com
mittee Reports Favoring an
Emergency Clause.
Bill Passes the House With Only Three
Votes Registered Against
the Same.
Divorce Bill Passed

Divorce Bill Passed.
Senator LaMoure's divorce bill,
amending the present law by requiring
twelve months residence on the part of
applicants for legal separations, and pro-
viding that non but residents of the
United States shall be allowed to secure
divorces in the state a passed by the
house yesterday afternoon by a vote of
forty-nine for to three against. The bill
was favorably reported by the commit
tee on judiciary to whom it was referred.
A minority report was presented by
Chairman Stevens of the committee in
favor of an emergency clause, so that the
law might take immediate effect, and
the bill be passed with the emergency
clause. The minority report of MI.
Stevens was as follows:
A minority of your committee on Judi
ciary beg leave to report that l am in
favor of amending Senate Bill No. l, re-
lating TO divorces,b by adding the following:
whereas an emergency exists in that
this bill will not be enforced before the
first day of July, and the state during
the time between the passage of this bill
and July first will suffer all evils and
abuses the law is intended to correct,
Therefore this law shall be in force
from and after its passage and approval"
And when SO amended that the bill do
pass. My reasons for desiring that this
Dill 60 into effect at once are the follow
ing:
First-The law is intended to in
crease immigration by establishing
among the other states a better name
for the protection and preservation of
the morals Of the community.
Second-It is intended to take away
from our state the stigma of being the
dumping ground for every sin. excess or
evil of the human race in their marital
relations.
Third-That the divorce agencies ex-
listing in New York, Boston. Philadelphia
and other large cities of the east and
who are t%ratficking with the most sacred
relations ever existing between human
beings, to the agents profit and this
states detriment, may at once close up
shop and go out of business.
Fourth--It is currently reported that
there are now in the state some two
hundred persons who are here for the
purpose of taking advantage of the d.
vorce laws as they now exist. Before a
decree can be lawfully granted to one of
them they must make oath that they
are bona tide residents OF the state, and
if that oath is made merely for the pur-
pose OF securing a divorce, with the in
tention of at once removing from the
state, then before high Heaven that
oath is perjury. If they honestly do in
tend to be citizens of the state, the tax
ing effect of this law at once cannot be a
detriment to them.
Fifth-For the next thirty days a rush
of the most undesirable character, seek
ing the advantage of the present laws,
will do more to place a stain upon the
good name of the state than has the law
as it now exists for the past year. 1t
will be like the rush line of a newly
opened reservation crowded to the limit
by the most desperate and undesirable
characters to take advantage of the lax
ity now existing upon the subject of d.
vorce.
Sixth-It is said by some that if this
bill is passed here with the emergency
clause and goes back to the senate fail
ing to pass with the emergency clause it
might not be valid. No Judge will tell
you that the passage of a bill by a ma
jority of a body which contains an
emergency clause has any other effect
upon the law than to pass it to take ef-
feet on July1. The senate has passed
the bill, and if passed without amend
ment other than the addition of the
emergency clause of. this house, they
cannot kill the bill. The only thing
they could do would be to kill the emer-
gency clause which would not affect the
passage of the bill, and the bill having
passed unanimously by the senate, we
have neither right nor reason to presume
that they will not concur in the emer-
gency clause, and if they do not then
the sin be on the senate.
This report is made in what the maker
believes to be in the interest of good
morals, of good citizenship, of good as
sociations for our citizens and in the
name OF that most outraged of all class
es, poor unfortunate struggling women,
who after having endured the hardships
trials and %privations necessary in being
q good wife and mother to q husbond
who began at the very door OF poverty,
and dragged out the best days of the
wife's youth in aiding him to accumu-
late q competency, is deserted and
abandoned and left a wreck on the
t~horoughfare of time, while her hus-
bagd HES himself to the state of North
Dakota. procures a ninety day divorce