New-York tribune., 1906-04-11
UNIFORM DIVORCE LAW
Political Study Society GiUes Rea-
sons VIA 1t Should PreUail.

There should be uniform divorce law. The So
ciety for Political Study decided that vital point
yesterday It's last meeting of the year. after an
animated and electrfyng discussion, in which all
the changes rung the divorce question, from
states rights TO the effect the children. One
minute the members having the red flag of
rebellion waved in their faces, the next the riot act
was being read to them. Some Of them got posi-
lively dizzy osciIlating between negative and af-
f1rmatve.
Mrs Frederick A. Dana. chairman OF the day, re-
minded the club that the divorce conference that
sat In Washington recommended ten causes for
divorce. Like the 'ad.' of cheap clothing ffrm,'
she commented. we fit the hard to fit With ten
causes to select from the most difficult ought to get
suited-lawsuited."
Mrs Lille Devereux Blake was the first speaker
in the affirmative. "At present" she said. ''if a
man who has been divorced and remarked in Maine
travels South he will find he Is still married to his
first wife in some states. not married to either in
Others and married to both in still others"
Mrs. Belle de Rivera, who spoke the negative.
conhded to her audience at the start that she had
never been divorced and never expected to be.
IF the divorce law was made uniform" she argued.
that would mean being made more stringent.
There are true ideal marrages-no one doubts that
but many woman wakes from her dream to
find she has made life blunder Ought not the
law to leave her as free to remarry to marry,
that she may have the chance to take a new
start?'
Then the speaker champcned incompatability of
temper a of divorce. Think" she ex-
claimed. fervently, 'of living all the rest OF your
life in an atmosphere of nagging and msunder-
standing! Has your husband even temper?'
a woman was asked. oh, yes. he is as cross one
day as another Better thousand times that men
and women should part than go living together
like that
Marriage a contract. she maintained. eff
the husband forgets his obligation, why should the
wife be expected to remember hers? It is remar-
rage, not divorce. that ofends us. she concluded
whose pungent reports on municipal affairs have
brought fame to the S. P. s.. mounted the plat
form.
I'VE ought to have a uniform law" she declared
defantly, then New York women would be spared
the disgrace of going to Dakota to get divorced
Find out what causes the greatest misery to the
cause for divorce. Here in New York, continued
Mrs. Cory, I'VE brag that have only one cause
cause of divorce. How many women die and never
know Of the rival flats which their husbands main-
tain around the corner!
Last of the debaterS came Mrs. John Fowler
TroW, who said if the state was more particular as
TO who got married there wouldn't he so many
divorces II have known twenty couples" she
soiemnIy affirmed who after marriage found they
not fit to be married. But then, must
be careful don't make our laws so strenuous
while is the easiest country to get divorced
I'm, have the highest average Of morality.
When the subject was opened to discussion Miss
Theresa Barcalow arose.
I'D like 70 speak," she said but L don't know
what to say"
Apparently ideas came to her rescue, for she
went ''If 1 had a husband 1 couldn't get on
with, I wouldn't bother with a divorce. I'd go
my way and he could go his. But I'd cut him Off
in my willG'
The early part of the meeting occupied by
a determined but unsuccessful effort to stampede
Rochester, the candidate of the Dyon-Trow-De
Rivera faction for state president