Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-05-10
NATIONAL CONVENTIONS.
May Favor a Constitutional Amend
mont on MARRIAGE and Divorce.

May Favor CONSTITUTIONAL Amono'
mont on Marriage and Divorce.
The national conventions Of both the
Republican and Democratic parties this
year will be urged to adopt q plank
favoring a constitutional amendment
which will enable congress to enact
uniform law for the country on the
Subject Of marriage and divorce. Since
the law thus proposed relates to a
matter of social reform only, and can
In no sense be made a party issue, we
see no reason why both parties may
not act upon 1t favorably. A move
ment in favor Of such uniformity has
been in progress now for many years,
and has engaged in its support the
practically unanimous sentiment Of the
most intelligent and enlightened minds
Of the whole country.
The present diverse and conflicting
laws Of the various states on the ma
rital relations are in no sense a re-
Election of American sentiment on this
same subject. There Is no question
on which the American people as a
whole are more united, more heartily
agreed, than on the question of the
purity and sacredness of the marriage
relation. Go where you will, In any
section Of the Union, with the excep-
tion of the region where Mormonism
rules, and the feeling on this subject
will be found precisely the same.
There Is no sectionalism here, no north
and south, no east and west, when 1t
comes to the issue Of afe-guarding the
family relation. There is no more diff
ference Of opinion on this point among
intelligent and reputable people any
where in the Union than there Is In
regard to the necessity Of education
for the young or on the therapeutic
value of pure air and water.
That the purity Of the family rela-
ton is one Of the foundation stones OF
modern civilization, a vital and essen
tial element in the life Of the republic,
Is everywhere recognized and main
tained This holds true of communi-
ties now under as widely variant laws
on divorce as South Dakota, for in
stance, where almost any pretext is
allowed for the severance Of the mar
riage bond, and South Carolina, where
divorce is not permitted on any ground
whatever. There are, in short, no such
lines Of moral division between the
people of the different states as might
be inferred from the widely different
laws on a subject Of such vital rela-
ton to morality as marriage and d.
vorce. The American people are re-
markably homogeneous with respect to
their recognition Of fundamental NOR
al principles; they all think alike here
The present mixed and confusing
mass of state legislation on marriage
and divorce Is rank absurdity, and
worse. Even the few states which set
a high standard in their laws on this
subject suffer almost equally from the
scandal and disgrace resulting from
the loose and vicious legislation Of 9TH
er states. The reputation Of the coun-
try in this matter is based on the low
est and most prevalent standard, rath-
er than on the highest. For this rea-
son the good name Of the American
people demands that congress should
take action to secure that same uni
formity in the laws regulating the
marriage relation which actually ex-
lists in popular sentiment.-Leslies s
Weekly.