Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-05-28
DIVORDE QUESTION
Discussed By Women's Clubs al Madison Waterbury Woman
 Reads Paper.

Madison, May 2S.-The Connecticut State Federation of Women's clubs met here this afternoon. After an in- formal reception memorial service to the late Miss Mary NJ. Abbott of Wat erbury was held. The report on unl- form divorce as prepared by Mrs C. A. Capen, chairwoman of the commit- tee, was read by Mrs W. H. Phipps of Waterbury. The report was as fol- lows:
 The committee in its report said: 'sThere seems to be well founded De- lief among those who have spent time and thought in investigation that the great and constantly increasing num- Der of divorces in our country Is due to the lack of a divorce law uniform throughout the nation. This can only be accomplished by the states, as no federal divorce law is feasible, the government having Jurisdiction oiiiy over the District of Columbia and the territories, and in order to extend that power a constitutional amendment would be a necessary prerequisite. This is almost impossible to secure, there being nearly as many minds on the subject as individuals. The ma jority opinion, however, concur that the law should be sufficiently uniform to prevent annulment of the marriage tie for slight cause, simply by change I '. n fl K
 Reference was made in the report to the recent congress of commissioners to consider uniformity ir divorce iesis- latlon and of the resolutions adopted. Continuing the report says: "The laws of the states vary to so great degree that man may have a dozen lawful wives. or a woman as many husbands, in different parts of the union, and 1t is a fact that children may be leglti- mate on one side of.a river and iliegi- innate on the opposite side of the bank. There is no end to the freaks of law in this respect, perhaps the strangest of all is in South Carolina, where couples can marry themselves in any way they choose, but dlvorces are not granted for any cause whatever, and the fact that couple have lived to- gether for one year makes the oft- spring legitimate.
 Opposed to this many western states notably South Dakota grant diyorces for such causes as the following. to wit: A man kept a saloon, man fell into rage and broke soIre cups and saucers. man used tobacco, man cut of his wife's bangs, man made his wife black his boots. etc, etc, one can easily perceive why there Is gay divorce colony in Sioux Falls, s. b."
 The report after quoting the Connec- ticut statutes on the subject, says: The principal changes suggested. are the divorce from bed and board al- ready mentioned, and conditional judgmen. not to authorize re-marriage for one year, thus giving opportunity for reconciliation, when the Judgment can be set aside.
 The importance to women of good divorce laws Is unquestlonable. A member of our executive board con sulting at the time with Colonel Will liam E. Wooster of Derby, in regard to the law of ''equal guardlanship'' received this reply to her questions, "Why do you bother with that? It Is far more necessary to get a law which will prevent a drubken, lazy or brutal husband from having a right to his wife's home md wages" This shows that stringent divorce law would right other wrongs.
 The following being part of a let fer from Mir Talcott Russell of New Haven gives reasons for the judicial separation being excluded from the Connecticut law, and also information on other points. Mir Russell was on' of the commissioners at the divorce law congress.
 "The principal cause under whlcf divorces are granted by the western states, North Dakota. for instance, is extreme cruelty. There are probably few married couples who could hon estly deny that at some time during their married life one O. them had caused grievous mental suffering tt the other. If there are such, they would probably be found to be of phlegmatic disposition.
 Tt is obviously fraud upon thu New York woman to go to North Da kota. remain six months, get a al yorce, because a husband. we will say. denied her sufficient allow ance to keep up her social position according to her ideas, which would doubtless cause grievous mental sui fering to some people. and then com' back to New York with all the right and privileges of single woman
 Tt is this kind of migratory al yorce which the congress aimed t stop. I do not think that the cause of divorce set down in the Connect cut statutes need much change. w do need, I think. safeguards agains hasty or inconsiderate action of tn courts. Tine cures good man, evils. If it took year instead o from three weeks to three months t get a divorce, a good many peopl would make up their quarrels an live together who are now separate forever.
 "Another remedy which has beei recommended by the congress Is wha Is called judicial separation. that to say, the judgment of the cour that the parties, live separated fo