The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-07
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.

&
The following editorial from The New
York Times on the question of divorce
is worthy of consideration by all per-
sons who wish to see a remedy applied
Times, while saying that action for the
reform and ~unification of the marriage
laws must proceed from the states
shows a condition existing which can
be remedied only by uniform laws on
the subject of marriage and divorce.
That uniformity can be brought about
only by putting this matter in the hands
of the national government. It would
be impossible to secure uniform legis-
lation along this line by all he states
in the union. Much good might be done
by having the members Of congres OF
the different states agree upon q law
on marriage and divorce TO be adopted
by as many states as can be induced
to do so. This, though, would not cure
the evil.
IL II SlTdl6C IIIdt, Ua1A~ vi Wan
OF the country to the other there II An
almost universal demand for restrictive
Hesitation regarding divorces, h lead
Ing committee Of n Of the branches
of our state legislature should declare
for adding to the frivolous causes for
divorce already allowed. We have 1t
on the authority of The News and CD
server tina this additional cause ap-
proved of by this committee is to be
put on the statute books for the pur-
pose of allowing a certain person to Sc
cure a divorce and that other similar
cases are likely to be provided for by
general legislation at this session OF the
legislature at h instance Of the law
yers who appear for the parties seek
ing divorces whose cases are not
covered by the very lax divorce laws
now in force in our state. This Is E
serious charge to make and quite a re-
Election on our legislature; still The
News and observer does not hesitate
to make 1T.
But to get back to that New York
Times editorial, which says:
"Action for the reform and unifca-
ton of the marriage laws must proceed
from the states. But the accurate In
formation which is needed as a preli1ni-
nary to useful action the federal gov
is alone in a condition to
supply.
I'VE already know, in a general way,
that the condition Of the laws on this
subject amounts to a national n
It Is not tolerable that a man and q
woman should be recognized by the law
of one state as living in lawful wedlock
while in another they would be, If they
should remove to it, living in unlawful
cohabitation. 1t is not in h least
likely tina any state will consent tt
enact the absolute indissolubility Of
marriage which is ordained by h Ro'
man Catholic church, Ink for which 9
considerable party in the Protestant
Episcopal church is contending. But i
is to be hoped and expected that a com
plete view, such as the census bureat
has the facilities for furnishing, of thu
workings of the present chaos of laws
will have the effect Of shaming thost
! states Of which the laws are distin
! guished by their laxity into imposing
such restrictions upon h freedom ane
facility of divorce as are already in
posed by a number Of states and &c
guessed in by the vast majority O
their citizens. There should be nefthe
hesitation nor delay on the part O
congress in complying with the presi
dents recommendation"