Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-16
BAN AGAINST DIVORCES
Omaha Ministerial Union Nay Vote Not to
Rsmarry a Divorced Person,
SET OF RESOLUTIONS NOT AGREED ON
Several other Provisions Pertain
ing to Matter of Nntrimony
and Divorce Demand stiI
More Confederation.

The Protestant ministers of Omaha who
are members of the Omaha Ministerial
union-and that includes nearly all the
Protestant ministers of the city-have
before them a resolution TO refuse under
all circumstances to marry a divorced per-
SON"
The matter was presented at a meeting OF
the union at First Congregational church
Monday morning, when a list of resolutions
on the divorce question was submitted by
a committee for endorsement. The list
contained nine provisions and the union
voted to consider them seriatim, beginning
with the ninth. The ninth was amended
and that was as far as the union got the
remainder, after much discussion, going
over until another meeting.
This is the list OF proposed resolutions:
Realizing the great growing menace to
the purity and stability OF the home found
in improper marriages and multiplied d-
yorces and, realizing my responsible
lation to the matter as a minister OF the
gospel, and desiring to join In 4 collective
movement for remedying these evils, | sign
my name below in declaration of my pui-
pose:
1. To make careful inquiry Of persons
seeking to be married, as to prev ;ious
marriage, etc, in order that | may Judge
of the propriety of officiating.
2. To require in the case of strangers,
that their. reliability. be vouched for by
3. To solemniZe no marriage where l am
convinced that either party is unfit for
marriage by reason of immaturity, ILL
health vicious habits.
4. TO marry no divorced person within
one year from the granting of the decree.
o. To refuse in every case to marry a
divorced person whom have reason to be-
lieve is the offender against the former
marriage bond.
6 10 refuse to marry a divorced person
where the divorce Is obtained by collision
without adequate ground on either side.
= To refuse to marry divorced person
except the innocent party in a case where
| to the best of my knowledge and belief the
other party was guilty of wilful desertion
8. TO refuse to marry any divorced per
| son whatsoever except the innocent party
| I'm a case where to the best OF my knowl-
| edge and belief the other party was
| guilty of adultery.
! 9. 10 refuse under all circumstances to
marry a divorced person.
1t is understood that in all the above
cases the reunion of couple divorced Is
Excites Much Discussion.
The report was submitted through the
chairman, Rev II. c. Herring, pastor of
the First Congregational church, the re-
port being made the special order for this
meeting The motion to adopt the report
| brought out an animated discussion. DR..
j. W. Conley of the Firs; Baptist church
objected to proposition No. on the ground
that to require the endorsement of some
one else would be too delicate subject
for the officiating minister to handle
Father Williams of St. Barnabas Episcopal
church wanted proposition No &C
amended as to read excepting for causes
existing before marriage" Presiding Elder
William Gorst of the Methodist Episcopal
church was of the impression that the
whole matter should be left over until the
next meeting OF the association. Rev. IL
]. Kirchstein OF the North Side Christian
church moved an amendment eliminating
all propositions except Nos. / and s. Rev
Frank l.. Loveland of the First Methods
church stated that looking at the mattel
from a legal standpoint "the pledges sim
ply present nine separate indictments. ant
after all l do not think this is really wha
we want to get at. was a member o
the legal profession before entering tn
ministry and | cannot but, see that in sub
hitting these pledges in legal parlance w
} would be laughed out of court"
Rev. B. F. Fellman of Grace Baptis
church held that there was legal elemen
in the propositions that the ministry coult
not afford TO ignore. Marriage being
b civil contract a minister refusing to MARI!
! a couple producing legal license to MARI!
might find himself amenable for damages
Wants to Vote on Each One.
Rev. ]. Randolph Smith of Trinity Metho
dist church thought the members of tn
Ministerial union might subscribe yea o
nay TO such of the propositions as the.
> desired that the question was not upon tn
> signing Of the pledges, but merely on tn
adoption OF the report of the committee
Presiding Elder Gorst moved that th
pledges be considered seriatim beginninj
at the bottom. DR.. Loveland was still
shaN ha
plished under this proposition. The motion