The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-10-25
REMEDY FOR
DIVORCE EVIL
Comprehensive Measure Prepared to
Submit to Congress.
UNIFORMITY is THE OBJECT
Heavy Penalty for Divorce Sharks ls
mended--Inssnity Added to
Grounds for Divoree--open Trials Of
Divorce Cases with an interim Be-
fore Divorces May Marry Again.

Philadelphia, Oct. PA draft of a
proposed uniform marriage and di-
vorce law, prepared by the special
committee OF the divorce congress,
which met here last winter, will come
up for consideration at the next ses-
sion OF the congress in this city,
Nov. Is.
The proposed new act is divided into
three chapters. The first consists of
iurisdctlonal provisions; the second
procedure, and the third general pro-
visions and is entitled IAN act regu-
lating annument OF marriage and di-
vorce"
While little or no change Is made in
the given causes for divorce, certain
provisions of the new act evidently
were made with a view OF arresting
the increasing demand for legal sew
erance OF marital bonds.
Under these stipulations secret or
star chamber sessions for hearing
divorce cases before masters or other
representatives of the courts are done
away with and "all hearings and trials
shell be had before the court. and
shall in all cases be public"
Divorce, it is provided, shall be of
two kinds-absolute and divorce from
bed and board. Under the first classi-
flcation the grounds shall be adultery,
bigamy. conviction and sentence for
crime, followed by two years contin-
ual imprisonment extreme cruelty,
willful desertion and habitual drunk
enness for two years.
The same causes will prevail in the
second class, with the additional
cause of hopeless insanity of the
husband"
Another enactment OF the proposed
new law prohibits the solicitation of a
divorce ca by advertisement, circu.
lar or otherwise and prescribes for
such an offense a fine OF not more
than $1,000 and Imprisonment not
more than one year
1t is also provided that "a decree
dissolving the marriage tie so COM
pletely as to permit the ~emarriage of
either party should not become opera
tive until the lapse of a reasonable
time after hearing or trial on the mer-
its of the case" The Wisconsin, Illi-
nois and California rule of one year is
recommended.
An annulment OF the marital con-
tract as distinguished from divorce
will be made from the following
causes: impotency, consanguinity,
existing former marriage, fraud, force
or coercion, insanity and Illegal age.
No divorce shall be granted if it ap-
pears to the satisfaction of the court
that suit is brought by collusion or
that the plaintihf procured or connived
at the offense charged or condoned it,
or is guilty Of adultery not condoned.
The new law also makes some i'm
portant changes In the practice and
procedure necessary in divorce cases
and their trial.
The proposed statute is the outcome
OF study on the subject by lawyers and
jurists and prominent churchmen, all
OF whom are conversant with exist,ng
Of the socalled divorce
evil, and the proposed new act is cal
culated to insure remedial results all
over the country. Its compilation was
to the resolutions committee,
which consists of representatives in
congress from this state and New
Jersey, which will unanimously recon-
mend the proposed measure.