The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-14
CHURCH DEBATE ON DIVORCE.
Dj,ORCE VIEWS on PROPOSED
iNTI-REMARRIAGE CANON.
The Minority Report Withdrawn In the
Episcopal House OF Deputies and the
Question SOW Nelates 10 the Re.
marriage OF the Innocent Party.

The MINORITY bfpoTt WNhuThNu l" '"e
Episcopal House OF Deputies and the
Question SOW nelates to the Re.
marriage OF the Innocent Party
Boston oct. i3.--Debate on the proposed
canon forbiddng the remarrage Of divorced
PERSONS began the first thing to-day at the
session OF the House OF Deputies OF the
Episcopal General invention In Emmanuel
Church, and it will be discussed again to-
morrow. The first thing done was the
withdrawal by the Rev. j. Lewis Marks OF
the minority report on the new canon.
The effect of this, Mr.. Marks said, was
TO make the issue upon the second section
of the majority report which Is:
so minister shall solemnize a marriage
between any two persons unless by inquiry
he shall have satisfied himself that neither
person has been or Ia the husband or the
wife of any other person then living from
whom he or she has been divorced for any
cause arising after marriage.
Francis A. Lewis OF Philadelphia disap-
proved entirely Of the Episcopal Church
solemnzing any marriages Of divorced
persons He said there il no earthly way
of discovering whether one Of the parties
is or ia not innocent. In his Judgment
ninety-nine out Of every one hundred d.
vorced persons remarked to-day are guilty,
though posing as innocent.
The Rev. H. II. Oberly of Elizabeth n. D.,
said there was no permission in the pro-
posed new canon for the remarriage OF a
divorced person. He attacked the existing
canon. declaring that II il were to remain
the marriage service should be changed to
agree with it. The proposed reform also
" II Drawn nf Eran
cisco. He did not think the proposed
change would eradicate the divorce evil,
The Rev, George c. Dali OF Delaware en-
tered upon dissertation as to the degen-
crate conditions that prevailed in the days
of Rome, and said that he believed that In
spite Of churches and schools we are de-
scending into low moral state; in fact.
he pictured such a state of affairs as to in
dictate that he was no optimist. or Stats
tics he quoted many to show the prevalence
of divorce, and cited some notorious in
stances of the remarriage of divorced
persons. Among the negroes. even, he
affirmed, divorces had increased 100 per
cent in ten years.
The Rev. Carl f. Grammer, D. D., of
Norfolk, Va, championed the innocent
party in cases Of remarriage. He thought
u
book should be adhered to, that II any
attempt is made to change the canon the
authority Of the Church Is weakened.
John y. Kicks of Little Rock, Ark, said
one would think from the tenor of the
remarks heard that the Episcopal Church
was responsible for all the remarriages
OF divorced persons in the country Al
ready the Church is in advance Of other
denominations on this question, he said,
and any radical legislation Will not ad-
vance the position Of the Church one parti-
Gle. He thought the attention OF the con-
yention should be focused more on the
gentle, merciful side OF the question, and
that the innocent man or woman should
he allowed the privilege Of remarrying. The
present canon, he said is quite good enough.
tonic, Tex, had much to say RS to the causes
OF divorce. Wilhelmus Mynderse Of Brook.
lyn argued that the whole question was one
of substance. not phraseologv. II the
new canon is adopted, the Church will
he led into new territories never before
ventured upon by any denomination. The
Church. he said. has a work to do. but Il
cannot be done by canon. The Church
can exhort, it can teach; the actual work
looking to lessening the evil must be eff
as have the power to execute their decrees.
George Wharton Pepper Of Philadelphia
spoke In the interests OF Christian training
Of children. He wished to be able to go
home and, say that the Church has had
nothing whatever to do with the question
Of divorce. He emphatioally opposed any
legislation on the part OF the Church.
Archdeeoon F. A. DE Rasact OF Spring.
FIELD, ILL.,. spoke for the preservation OF the
family. Thus far, he said. the majority
report IL the best thing yet devised to meet
tho evil If the canon Ia not passed. he
said, the newspapers will scatter broadcast
the fact that the Church is unwilling to take
measures to safeguard the interests Of the
home. He believed the chastened sober
conscience Of the American people should
hn upifted. The proposed canon was not
radical, but 80 her. moderate, conservative.
In the opinion Of Rev s. Scollay Moore,
tho actual work of the convention should
lies regu ate better the subject OF divorce.
So far "a the proposed canon is concerned,
!. h2s 10 do only with remarriage. He
believed the new canon would result in
greet lavitv Of practicas.
The Church aims to have some influence
with Steta Legislatures. Rathbope Gardner
Of Providence said SO far as the attitude
torhids the remarriage OF guilty parties.
but practice allows it. to which many Of
the deputies murnured dissent Az for the
Innocent partv.it is a difficult question that
OF rronouncng judgment. In the new
-anon: there ia an acquired safety where
now there is peril.
The Rev. Alfred HsrGing Of Washington
held that the new canon would enable the
Church TO fulfil her offices rs teacher
Bu a, the present time the Church teaches
one thing in the Prayer Book and another In
th" canons. Thu two cannot be reconciled.
The Church should stand for no r-omarriage
OF divorced persons.
WAY RAISE RACE ISSUE.