Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21

Tses,attor IN reference to divorces and
80 ,svG COX eyrlng them IS engaging the
- -an os the National Congress and
o.-acs ta come up In the General As
before the session ends Already
80 Isl IN committee Of the House OF
-,-ealas q bill offered by MIR. Cumming.
beth City and Acconaac, amending
- VS. so as TO permit n divorce from
board 70 be an0uicd upon salts
,aarg evidence Of reconciliation or to
sach decree into one granting alb
slrarce or divorce 2 vinculo nlatri-
as II IS known IN legal parlance.
"a aeana- after three years that there
hope OF o reconciliation.
--c Is now pending IN Congress
s a-dsEdinE Tor uniform marriage and
sr US throughout the United States.
@ Is fate is uncertain Many who IA
ya- ne cad aimed al by the bill-the less
sr al the divorce evil-do not favor the
Interference by the national government
tsers within the jurisdiction Of the
s SEah bill would probably oper-
ss 10 aalEy the laws aga!nst rniseegena-
now IN force In this and other
s. Bern States. i IS difficult TO remedy
sse rv8 doe 10 aZity of the divorce laws of
,aa ~tlie States. about the only means
O.. Securing 4 being q convention 20 en-
ssssg- to recommend TO the several States
aeres the same laws. So far no
stsa hes been taken 10 bring this about.
AWAY MARRIAGES EASY.
Considerable annoyance has been caus-
Il aaa" parents in this State by the
s---sageat Of their minor children and
-zrr.-Ee - North Carolina, or Tennessee
I9tstrLct OF Columbia. In Virginia,
.ze avs require that persons under the
80 * = shall have the consent CT the
parent CT guardian, but this. IS easily
aFaal1 by . trip 10 some Gretna Green
a-e Of the adjoining States. Many
-g.@.a girls and some youths over IS
a-a married in North Carolina. the Dis
t % n Tennessee. and frontier par
fo~s reap .-ich harvest by performing
tzEe ceremonies for these runaway
couples In some cases the marrying
PARSONS conduct hotels or have lodgings,
7aa-e rsnaways may be entertained. IN
gst 81 the States where the age limit fer
marriage IS lower than p years. it is fixed
III bGt even this limit IS rot always
.E5Iv. enforced The law is evaded in
y cases, with the inducement Of a
AGE LIMIT FOR MARRIAGES.
Women who marry without the consent
Of parents mast oe at least z years Of
Ers II Jhe States of Connecticut, Florida
Illinois. kentucky, Louisiana. Ohio. Penn
G5,Eznta Rhode Island, South Dakota,
Virginia. West Virginia, and Wyoming.
over IS can marry lawfully in the
rcaer States not named.
1iany Of the States have laws against
egeuation. They are Alabama, Ark
E@sas Delaware. Florida, Georgia, Idaho
Ia7tsEa, Kentucky. Maryland. Mississippi,
Missouri Nebraska. Nevada. North Caro-
Ina oregon. Utah. and Wisconsin.
FIRST COUSINS MAY NOT WE'D.
Marriages between first cousins are
Fshthited in Arkansas, Illinois. Indiana.
Kansas Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada,
c-sE Hampshire North Dakota. Ohio.
rz9n. Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
Washington. and Wyoming.
SRth Carolina alone allows divorce on
ground. IN the other States there are
vr5us and differing grounds and condi-
--.fs on which divorce is granted. The
#orce laws Of Virginia are reasonably
e=H.Gt. bl1t the court records show a large
Increase in divorces during the past two
4ecades, larger than the proporuonate
Increase If population would explain.
In many of the States propositions have
been offered from time TO time locking to
forbidding marriage between persons
either Of whom Is consumpttve, and in