The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-11-20
SIX CAUSES FOR DIVORCE
ADOPTED BY REFORMERS
Philadelphia Congress Takes Up
the Proposed Uniform Law.
A DISCUSSION OF INSANITY
List Of Disabilities and Conditions
That Justify AnnuIment of Mar
riage and Causes That Render
Divorce Practicable.

E4tOAtN a At+NtANANACs
Philadelphia Headed by Gov
ernor Samuel w, Pennypacker Of
Pennsylvania more than hundred
men and women, bishops, Governors,
jurists, clergymen and sociologists,
representing nearly every State, gath
cred here to frame uniform divorce
law.
AS almost every delegate has
pledged that the laws suggested by
the congress will be passed by the
Legislature Of his State, the draft
which the delegates will frame may
become the divorce law of the whole
country.
The two important things settled
were the causes that should permit
annulment of marriage and the
causes which should permit the
granting of absolute divorce.
Briefly summarized, the draft
adopted gives the following causes
Of annulment of marriage:
Incurable impotency at the suit OF
either party, provided the party MAX
ing the application for the divorce
was ignorant of such incapacity at
the time of marriage.
Consequently or affinity according
to the table of degrees established by
law, at the suit of either party. 1t is
provided, however, that when any
such marriage shall not have been
inquired into within the lifetime of
the parties the validity shall not be
inquired into after the death of either
party.
When marriage was contracted
while either Of the parties had a hus-
band or wife living.
Fraud, force or coercion at the suit
of the injured or innocent party I'M
less the marriage had been confirmed
by the acts of the injured party and
SO condoned.
Insanity, provided such insanity
existed at the time of the marriage
and was unknown to the person mar
rying the lunatic.
At the suit of the wife when she is
under sixteen, or If the husband is
under eighteen at the time of mar
riage, providing that such marriage
shall not have been confirmed by her
or him after arriving at the age of
sixteen or eighteen.
For absolute divorce the causes are
as follows:
INFIDELITY,
FELONY,
BIGAN1Y,
DISCRETION,
HABITUAL DRUNKENNESS
INTOLERABLE CRUELTY.
1t is pointed out by the committee
that these six causes for absolute di-
vorce are already incorporated in the
laws of forty of the forty-five States,
although other phases of the divorce
laws are not uniform to that extent.
Another important clause in the
bill is to decrease the number of mi
gratory divorces. The various Legis-
latures will be asked to agree on a
period Of residence before application
may be made for divorce.
There was opposition to the clause
annulling the marriage of a girl I'M
der the age of sixteen and a youth
under eighteen. Ernest Merten, of
Wisconsin, held that a girl under
eighteen was, incapable of making a
proper marriage contract, and Frank
H. Kerr, of Ohio, favored the law of
his State, which makes the marriage
of boy under twenty-one and girl
under eighteen void.
Miss Rachel Siegel, of Utah, the
only woman speaker, held that six
teen years for the girl was all right.
She said: I'VE women ought to
know The clause was adopted.
Though personally opposed to di-
vorce. Bishop Stanley voted for the
sections in behalf Of his State be-
cause the other delegates were not
present.