Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-14
DIVORCE CONesEsS AT WORK
Greater Portion oi rropSsed, Uniform
Law H. Gone over and
approved. .'tsf-

PHILADELPHIA, nov. 1.-THE national
congress on uniform divorce laws, In ses-
sion in this city TO-DAY, adopted about one
third of the proposed uniform bill as
drafted by the committee appointed at the
meeting held in Washington nine months
ago. The portions adopted include seven
causes under which annulment of marriage
may be obtained and six causes for abso-
Lutte divorce. t-.
Delegates from twenty-seven states and
the District OF Columbia and representa-
tives OF all protestant denominations who
attended the international conference on
marriage. together with the Catholic pre-
late, Bishop Stanley of North Dakota, at
tended the sessions, which we're presided
over by Governor Pennyp9cker
The important changes 10 the bill are
the striking out of all references to pro-
ceedings and practice, leaving the question
for the various Legislative bodies to pass
upon. The committee decided that 80 long
as open hearings are held and the laws
provide for direct service on the respondent
and fix a punishment for collision the
measure need not conform to any fixed
rule
Causes for divorce. '""
The causes for which divorce can be
granted are inhdelity, felony. bigamy, de-
sertion, habitual DRUNKENNESS and intol-
cradle cruelty, and In the discussions Of the
various sections there was little opposition
to any of these provisions, but In the list
of causes for annulment of marriage OPP
position was presented against several.
Governor Pennypacker took exceptions to
the clausew hich provides that II either
party unknown TO the other was insane
at the time Of marriage, II should be an
nulled. The governor held that the clause
not only gave the sane party the right to
begin suit but also TO q commission for
the luhatic. This would give a commission
| appointed by the court a right to begin
suit in the name OF an insane party even
/ IL the person nottihsane did not want d.
vorce. He argued that marriage was a
! personal relation and a third person had
no rights In the contract.
Seneca N. Taylor of st. Louis and c.
La Rue Munson OF winiamsport, Pa
elashed with the governor on the subject
Mr.. Taylor said the third party Is the
public and it has a right to forbid the
propagation or children from the insane
The question Of property rights he also
held was involved l-.-.--
Mr.. Munson said the clause was the only
protection for an insane person against
designing man on. woman He cited case
where relatives and friends were helpless
to protect an imbecile who had married a
designing woman. The clause was adopted
AEe for Marriage.
There was also opposition to the clause
annulllng the marriage of a girl under
the age Of 16 and a youth under 49, Ernest
Merten Of Wisconsin held that girl under
Is years 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 a boy under n and
a girl under IS void. Miss Rachel siegel of
Utah. the only woman speaker, held that
Is years for the girl was all right. She
said: 1--WE women ought to know" The
clause was adopted
Though personally opposed to divorce,
Bishop Stanley voted for the sections in
behalf OF his state because the other dele
gates were not present