New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-05
ON DIVORCE CONGRESS-
ar. Doane GtUes History-T Thinks
Results VII BE Far Reaching.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

Congress on Uniform Divorce Laws which was
held in Washington from February 10 to &c
The history of the congress is In itself interest
ing In January. 1905. the members of the In
'eFchurch Conference, which contains now rep
resentatives of fourteen religious denomina-
tons. met in Washington and were cordially
received by the President. Ten days after in
carrying out his expressed intention of helping
on the object Of the conference. the President
sent message to Congress asking among other
Things. for cooperation between the states In
oroer to secure uniform divorce laws. On March
10 IN the same year tho Governor of Psnnsyl-
wanna approved an act of the Legislature OF that
state authorizing the effort to bring about the
washington conference, the preamble Of the
act stating that the President had called the at
tention of the Congress OF the United States to
the need Of such cooperation In the matter of
oiVorce legislation. 1t Is source Of great graft
hcation to the members Of the Interchurch Con-
ference on Marriage and Divorce to feel that
the calling Of this Congress on Uniform Divorce
Laws was directly traceable through the Gov
ernor Of Pennsylvania and the President q, the
united states. to the representations made to
the President by members of the fntercburch
conferences
Inc congress itself was composed OF repre-
sehtatlves from fortyone of the forty-five States
ana from the District Of Columbia; not only
largely representative. therefore, of the whole
country. but represented by large men. The
opening address Of Governor Pennypacker be-
gan with the passage from the tenth chapter Of
ST Mark. 'Whosoever shall put away his wife
and marry another commiteth adultery against
her 1t contained. in the first place, the strong
est possible statement to the Importance Of
the object of the conference. 1T is impossible"
he said. ito overestimate the Importance of the
topic you have come together 20 discuss because
1t involves questions which concern individual
happiness and lie at the foundation of state
and national institutions. The home. which is
SO essential a factor in the development of our
national life, is the outcome of the relation of
man and woman" And then after speaking of
the sacredness of the matrimonial bond.
Taoitus describes 1t from the beginning of the
Christian era, as having endured through all the
centuries which have elapsed since Tacitus made
his observations. he went to say. land now
in this advanced age. IN our own country 1T is
threatened with destruction"
The Governor quoted recent writer de-
claring that "at the time of the census OF 1900
there We're 19S914 divorced persons living in the
United States, nearly 10000 divorces granted
in 1908. and the proportion Of divorces to mar
riages increasing with alarming rapidity. More
divorces are granted annually in the United
States than in any other country IN the world
habit of regarding as heather. When we re-
fleet that this road leads to Tophet. that the
grist which is ground by the mills of the gods is
exceedingly fine, and that the laws OF nature
are memorable, we may well regard such de-
generacy in morals and such loss Of that fibre
which gives character to nation with the
gravest apprehension II you can do something
TO limit and check the storm which promises ere
long to be flood you may bs well content"
Such words as these a. set the tone
and indicated the temper of the congress. and
the Governor of Pennsylvania has won high
place in the esteem and gratitude OF thought
full men and women for the energy which mi
uated, the courage which inaugurated and the
high purpose which inspired the congress.
The gathering itself was remarkable. not only
for its wide representative character so far as
the states were concerned. but for the personal
character of the Prominent among the
leaders. where many others We're prominent
were Walter q. Smith. William H Stake.
Mr. Munson, of Pennsylvania; Mr. Hart. Of
Louisiana: Mr. Gardiner, of Massachusetts,
Judge tanning and Chancellor Emery. of New
Jersey; Mr.. Logan and Mr.. Hufcut of New
York; Judge Stiffness and Mr.. Eaton, OF Rhode
Island, and Mr.. Pollard, OF Virginia, and 1T was
a source of very real satisfaction to me that
the Roman Catholic Church was strongly rep
resented. bishop. one priest and at least one
most effective layman being present.
The Interchurch Conference sent these repre-
sentatives. besides the president and DR.. Rob
erts, the secretary: John E Parsons, Charles L.
SCetSOQ y.
present. besides, the Rev. Drs. Dickey and Nc
Kim and Bishop Wilson. We were most cor
daily received. and our speakers were listened
to with very courteous attention, especially Mr..
Parsons and Mr.. Stetson The resolutions adopt
ed related naturally and most wisely rather to
methods of procedure than TO the question of
causes. But while the resolutions reciting causes
for annulment, for divorce a u4ensa and for d.
vinculo were accepted, 1t was under
stood in no wise implying an approval Of the
causes. Indeed, the preamble to this resolution
protects the statement from any such impression:
While the following causes for annulment IN
the marriage contract and for divorce from the
bonds of matrimony and for legal separation
divorce q menS9, seemed to be in accordance
with the legislation of a large number OF Ameri-
can states, this congress- desiring TO see the
number of causes reduced rather than increased.
recommends that no additional causes shall be
recognized in any state. and in those states
where causes are restricted no change is called
for" hesitate TO print the resolutions verbatim.
because no authorized copy OF them has as yet
been published The newspaper reports. al
though careful and accurate. may not be pre-
else in their language. but the gtst of them may
be summarized in this way.
After stating that no federal divorce law Is
feasible the resolutions. which are TO be put
into the form of a code and sent to the Governor
and legislature of each state. with the authority
of recommendation by the members OF this con-
ference are this purpose:
That all suits shall be brought in the state
where plaintiff defendant has bona fide resi-
dence.
That when the courts are given cognizance Of
suits where the defendant domiCied in for
eign Jurisdiction at the time the cause of
plant arose relief by absolute divorce will not
be given unless the cause was included among
those recognized in such foreign domicile
That not less than two years residence should
be required on the part of the defendant, and
on the part of the plaintiff who has changed the
state domicile since the cause of divorce arose,
where Jurisdiction depends upon the residence
That all hearings and trials shall be before
court and not before any delegated representa-
tive Of It,
That the final decree dissolving marriage so
as TO promote the re-marriage OF either party
should not become operative until the lapse OF