The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-08-03

President Hopes "a Demonstrate the
Necessity IT Uniform Laws ON
Subject.
EXPLANATION OF HIS VIEWS.

social investigation OF recent years Is
of greater importance. in the opinion
of President Roosevelt. than that
which the census Office begins this
week into the divorce question.
1t is the purpose OF the president.
when the investigation Is complet-
ed. to demonstrate by the statistics
gathered the absolute necessity OF
the enactment OF uniform divorce
laws among the various states. Al;
present the state laws are so dis
similar that many states have re-
fused TO recognize divorces granted
In other commonwealths. which led
10 judicial proceedings such as rem
dered last April by the supreme
court In the Haddock case, whereby
thousands OF innocent persons suf-
fered considerable Inconvenience.
The laws In this country may be
summarized as follows:
In Illinois. Iowa, Indiana. Mis-
souri, Kansas. Wisconsin. Minnesota.
Ohio. Maine. Massachusetts. Rhode
Island. Kentucky. California. Ten
nessee. Louisiana. Alabama. Mary
land and New Jersey the validity of
divorce obtained in another state
by party there domlcled. In a pro-
ceedlng where constructive service
on the defendant only is obtained. is
fully recognized. In Ohio. Iowa.
Minnesota and sometimes in Loulsi-
ana and Alabama, the right to all
mony aud dover Is preserved.
The only states In which II Is held
that party domiciled in another
state may not obtain a divorce there
by constructive service are New
York. Pennsylvania, North aud
South Carolina.
These conditions alone are sufi-
Client. the president thinks. TO Justify
a demand for uniform laws. under
which DEGREES shall have full faith
and credit in all states OF the union.
II Is also considered essential to the
preservation OF the American social
fabric that an agreement be reached
regarding causes for which a divorce
shall be granted. In South Caro-
lima, for example. no divorces are
granted. In New York absolute d.
vorces are granted only for adultery,
limited divorces being granted for
other causes.
Statistics the census bureau Is to
gather will cover the 'twenty-year
period from 1887 to 1900. inclusive.
This period was selected to enable
comparison with a census tken In
1856. which covered twenty years.
During that period 32S.71G divorces
were granted out OF a total of ASA
Gs3 applications.
II Is estimated that during the
last twenty years at least 1000 900
divorces were granted and that APP
plications for divorce numbered in
tho nelghborhood OF 1.400, 900.
These figures do not represent. OF
course. the total married infeliclty.
but only that class which preferred
separation and dissolution OF the
marriage relations without regard
to the publicity involved.
The report Of the census enumer-
ators will show the state or country
in which the marriage took place,
the date of marriage. the date OF
separation and the date of filing the
petition. II will give. also. the sex
OF the llbelant. whether notice was
served personally or by public ton,
whether the case was contested. and
the date OF the decree, II granted.
The report will give the number of
years married and the direct cause
OF divorce, and. II not direct,
whether intemperance was an inii-
rect cause 1t will describe the kind
OF divorce, the number of children.
whether alimony was asked or grant
ed and, finally. the occupations of
husband and wife and the residence
OF the libelee.
The census bureau regards every
feature OF the inquiry as important.
II believes the information sought as
10 the number OF children affected
will be OF greatest value in its effect
upon the action by the states.
or s2S.716 divorces granted dur
ing the twenty-year period ending in
1886. the total number Of children
involved was s67.7s9. The Stats
tics show that nearly four times as
many mothers with children asked
for and received divorces as did
fathers with children. In 57,524
cases there was evidence that the
parties had no children.
II Is the intention of the president.
when the statistics have been col
lected, to send them to congress. .ac-
companied by special message in