Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-21
DIVORCE and RE-MARR|AGE
DISCUSSION MINISTER'S REPRESENTING
By Rev. s. c. BldCkiStOn
(Episcopal.)

Rev. S. c. Blackiston. rector of st.
Johns (EpiscopaD church. cheerfully
consented to an interview on divorce and
its evil effects on the morals of society.
He expressed his pleasure over the op
portunity given him to define the posi-
ton of the Episcopal church upon this
matter. and his own hostility to divorce
laws which threatened the stability of
the state as we'll as the human family.
The interview began with this Ques-
ton put by the reporter:
What position does the Episcopal
church take regarding the civil law of
divorce? Define the canon"
Taking up a book containing the church
canons Rev. Blackiston read this para
graph: No minister knowingly. after
due inquiry. shall solemnize the mar
rage of any person who has a divorced
husband or Wife still living, if such hus
band or wife has been put away for any
cause arising after marriage; but this
canon shall not be held to apply to the
innocent party in a divorce for cause
of adultery. or to parties once divorced
seeking to be united again"
There is some talk that the Episco-
pal church either intends TO modify the
effect OF this canon or to enlarge the
scope of the ban on divorce? Is there
any truth in the report?" inquired the
reporter.
There is such talk as You mention
replied the pastor. but instead of modi-
flying the effects OF the canon quoted,
it is proposed at the next general con-
vention of the Episcopal church which
meets in San Francisco in October, 1901.
to amend the canon SO as to prohibit any
Episcopal clergyman from officiating at
the marriage Of any divorced person.
This would emasculate the concluding
portion OF the canon l quoted, namely,
that it should not be held to apply to the
innocent party in a divorce for cause
OF adultery, or to parties once divorced
seeking to be united again.
''WHl any opposition to this proposed
canon appear at the convention?''
Undoubtedly opposition viii manifest
itself. for this reason. that our Lord
seems to have made a provision for the
innocent party in a case of adultery to
be married again, as Witnesseth his own
words found in Matthew, xix, 3: 1 say
unto you, whosoever shall put away his
wife. except it be for forncation. and
shall marry another, committeth adul-
terry; and who SO marrietn her which is
put away. doth commit adultery.
Does the Episcopal church recognize
marriage as a sacramento
No. We have but two sacraments in
the church-baptiSm and the Lords sup
per. The solemnization of marriage,
however is held to be one of the rites tf
the church.
is it the policy of the Episcopal
church to discourage civil marriages."
1T is, because a civil marriage is With
out any recognition of the need Of a lii
vine blessing which the church MAIN
tains she gives in Gods name.
What effect has divorce, as it is com
Quoted. in most OF our state courts, upon
tn morals OF society,"
1t is destructive of family life; it is
intensely damaging to the young whose
ideas should be of the highest: vet
whose convictions are dulled by eXan:-
pies presented every day of the evils of
divorce. The youth soon begins 10 re-
gard the sacredness of the marriage VOW
of little consequence, and so the evil is
increased from year to year. 1t is the
| fruitful cause of the so-called necessary
I evil 1t destroys all home government; !;
| and in the destruction of parental gov
| eminent, the seed of anarchy is sown in
! the nation
What remedy would you apply to
| either abolish or curtail the evil?"
In the first place, let all the religious
bodies of the land express their con-
| demnation OF easy divorces, and abso-
| lutely refuse to give the church's bless
| irg to divorced persons again seeking t6
enter the marriage relation Then con-
| gress should pass a law repeating the di.
| yorce laws of the states and insteat
| apply the national statute which Woult
be uniform in it's effects throughout thu
| whole country. Such law should alst
| comprehend harmony and conSistenc!
| with ecclesiastical laws governing thu
marriage relation. The condition obtain
ing today in this country makes it cas-.
for person seeking diverse to obtain i
fraudulently. Our large cities swarm
With so-called lawyers who make dtyorc
speciality South Dakota has been
stencil in the nOstrils of moral people b.
reason of it's infamous divorce law. Il
one of it's cities, persons from abroa
seeking divorce, embraced nearly one
| third of the population