Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-02-19
THE DIVORCE
EVIL DISCUSSED
BY A GREAT CONFERENCE SIT
TING IN Neutrality-suspicious.
INENT DELEGATES PRESENT.

eral hundred delegates appointed by
the governors of forty-two states, al
men of earnest thought. devoted tC
the best interests of the country, met
today in convention in this city tC
discuss the problem of divorce.
Governor Pennypacker of Pennsyl
vania took the iniative in bringing
them together to exchange ideas to
perfect a permanent organization,
and to recommend informally some
solution. All unite in the belief that
the gigantic evil of divorce in the
United States should be checked.
Governor Pennypacker called the
conference to order and in his open
ing address stated the purpose of the
gathering to be Ito draft a proposed
general law which shall be reported
to the governors of all the states for
submission to the legislatures upon
the subject OF divorce throughout
ne nation"
Because of wide differences in the
statutes in some states relative to
divorces the difficulty is recognized
of settling upon a bill that will pass
muster in every state. North Caro-
lima does not permit divorces at all.
and in some states from six months
to three years residence is required
before an application is made. In
others the persons applying must be
natives of the state in which they APP
ply.
1t is expected that the congress will
give special consideration to an act
proposed by a committee appointed
some time ago by the American Bar
Association, to consider the question
of divorce. This act says that no
divorce shall be granted for any
cause existing prior to either party's
residence in the state, unless it be
the ground of divorce in the state
where the case arises. 1t then takes
up the question of actual residence
and says that If a person desires to
bring action for divorce, If the case
has arisen in the state, then he must
have had actual residence in that
state for at least one year before
bringing suit. On the other hand. II
the cause for divorce has been out
side the state where the action is
brought, then the party complaining
must have lived for at least two
years in the state before bringing
action Another point in the act Is
the question of bringing divorce
suits without proper notice to the de-
PENDANT. The act declares evidence
must be brought that the proper pa
pers have been served on the de-
PENDANT, or a sufficient time must
have elasped to make it quite GER
tain that the defendant cannot be
found in order to serve the suit.
Then the act provides that no d.
vorce shall be granted upon default
or upon admissions without a reg
ular hearing in court.
This afternoon the delegates to the
largely to the appointment Of the
necessary committees and the work
of organization. The speakers in
their opening addresses cited Stats
tics to show the enormity OF the d.
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late or reliable figures are not avail |
able from all sections it is apparent, |
nevertheless. that divorces are in |
creasing at an alarming rate through |
out the country. In Maine, for in
stance. the figures show that in 1902 |
there was one divorce in every six |
marriages, in Ohio the proportion was |
one in eight. in Indiana one in seven. |
and in Michigan one in eleven. Ger
tain Cities likewise show remarkable |
percentages. In Kansas City. Seattle, |
Los Angeles and San Francisco the |
figures show one divorce TO every |
four marriages, Indianapolis. Dallas |
and Chattanooga the proportion was |
one in five. and in Chicago one in
nine. New York. with its record of
one divorce TO every forty marriages.
appears almost moral in comparison.
but this is only because the majority |
of New Workers so out of the city and |
state to have the marital knot cut.
This afternoon the delegates TO the
congress were received at the White
House by President Roosevelt, who
spoke earnestly OF his interest In the
divorce problem. Tomorrow the con
gress will receive report from the
interchurch conference on the action |
Il has taken on the question of mar
riage and divorce. Bishop Doane of
Albany is chairman Of the committee
which will present this report.
The latest obtainable statistics
dgOD show that every fourth mar
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