The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-02-22

inc Uniformity Of Laws and Ep-
pealed For Protection Of the Home.
Present Laws Too Lax.
Washington. Feb 2O.-The National
Divorce Congress met here for the
purpose OF considering the divorce
laws OF the different states Of the un
ion, with the purpose of c~afting a
general law TO ~be submitted TO the
legislatures with the object OF secur-
ing a uniform law throughout the na-
tion.
Governor Pennypacker OF Pcnnsyl-
vania. was elected president OF the
congress. Following an address Of
welcome by District Commissioner
MacFarland Governor Pennypacker
outlined the objects of the congress.
Governor Pennypacker prefaced his
address with the following text:
"Whosoeyer shall put away his wife
and marry another committeth adul
terry against her"-Mark, chapter X,
verse IL.
After referring TO the call for the
convention he continued, saying IN
part:
1T is impossible to oyerestimate the
importance OF the topic you have come
together TO discuss, and 10 DO some
what TO formulate, for the reason that
| II involves questions which concern
Individual happiness and likewise lie
at the foundation Of our state and ma
tional institutions All Of the virtues
have their inspiration around the
hearthstone The sentiment which
leads man TO buffet with the world
for the protection and preservation
OF the household when extended 20
wider spheres becomes the patriotism
which urges him to sacrifice his com.
fort and even life. II need be. TO de.
fend an endangered country
The home which is so essential a
| factor In the development OF our ma
tlonal life Is the outcome Of the rela-
ton OF man TO woman; it is the place
whore the woman has her existence as
wlfc and where the children are
born. nurured and reared In this
American Republic we are in danger
OF undermining and uprooting. little
by little. what has given shelter and
health to so many generations OF Sax
ons and Normans. Germans and Eng
lish. The eastern peoples had a diff
ercnt idea Of womanhood and they put
( fl into practice
The dissolution Of the marriage
tie has now among us become so com.
mon as to be regarded as an ordinary
event. awakening no comment and
meeting with little or no disapproval.
Divorce. by means of the law, which
at one time could only be secured by
the interposition OF the whole sover-
eighty through an act of parliament or
of the legislature. was, as the efforts
In this direction became more frequent
given into the jurisdiction of the
courts. The courts in turn embarras-
sed by the multiplicity OF causes,
have In many instances delegated d.
vorce proceedings to the determination
of masters. who give hearings and
reach conclusions in the privacy OF
their Offices The way to the breach
OF this most sacred of human relations
is thus rendered easy. inexpensive and
comparatively certain of success.
"a recent writer in the Messenger,
the Rev. B. J. often. who has investi.
gated the subject, declares that at the
time of the census of 1900 there were
1894 divorced persons living in the
United States; that there were nearly
10000 divorces granted in 1903, and
that the proportion of divorces to mar
rlages is increasing with alarming rap
idity."
The Pennsylvania delegation intro
duced a set of resolutions embOdying
| their idea of a unOform divorce law.
These resolutions, which were referr'
ed to a committee. expresses the sense
OF the congress that no federal di-
yorce law is feasible, that each state
should adopt legislation restricting
the remedies afforded by its statutes
of divorce to its own citizens, except
under certain conditions; that when
the courts are given cognizance OF
suits where either OF the parties were
domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction at
the time the cause of complaint arose,
Il should be insisted that. except in
cases of adultery. or in the case of a
wife returning to her original domicile
relief will not be given unless the
cause of divorce was included among
those recognized in such foreign dom
icile: that as long term as possible
be fixed as a period of residence be-
fore the right TO sue can be acquired
and suggesting that the Massachusetts
rule OF three years it not too extreme
a limit; classifying into certain groups
causes for divorce, that desertion
should not be a cause for divorce un'
less persisted in for at least two
years; that power Of attorney be es'
sentiaI to an appearance by the at
torney for either party; that a decree
should not be granted yinculo matri-
mony for insanity arising after mar
rage, and that a final decree dissolv-
ing the marriage tie so completely as
to permit the remarriage Of either
party should not be entered until the
Lapse OF a reasonable time after a de-
cree nisi after hearing or trial upon
the merits of the cause.