The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1907-02-22
MEMORIAL ON
POLYGAMY
81
Major Buttz Makes :
ring Speech g
REGULATE DIVORCE LAWS
RANSOM COUNTY REPRESENTA-
TIVE PRESENTS HIS MEMORIAL
TO CONGRESS URGING ACTION
TO BE TAKEN BY NATIONAL
BODY ON PoLYGAMY IN u. S.

SDi Wy FOI NAWt TN W =.
Bismarck, Feb 2o.--After present.
ing his memorial to congress on the
subject of polygamy and divorce,
Wednesday afternoon, Mr.. Buttz ad-
dressed the house as follows:
THE memorial now before the
house, asking congress to propose an
amendment to be submitted to the
several states, looking to giving juris-
diction- to the United States courts
over the question of polygamy, and
also to provide uniform divorce law
for our country, is a question that is
being agitated by all law w-abiding peo-
pie; and it has become more promi-
nent because of the question of polyg-
amy now being investigated by the
United States senate In connection
with the senator from Utah. You will
observe that have included in this
memorial to congress also request
that in the proposed amendment to
our constitution that they also submit
the question to regulate the divorce
laws of the land so that there may be
uniformity in the several states.
Mr.. Speaker, the memorial now
pending, while it proposes to accom-
plish the same object as the one the
mouse rejected a few days ago, differs
from that in thfs:
Article v of tie constitution of the
United States prrNides..s s ways to
amend the consf ueN pslIs
flrst. When ,1uleAoS 9 assf both
houses OF eongressa sr4aIaUaseefff it nec-
essary they may propose amendments,
Or on the application of the legisla-
talres of the several z<sates,s tlaeyazsElslis
call q convention (of all the states)
for proposing amendments: in either
case the acts of either congress or the
convention must be submitted to the
several states. and when three fourths
OF the said states agree to said amend
ment, it becomes a part of the consti-
tuition of the United States.
The memorial that the house con-
sidered and rejected, about ten days
ago, asked congress to call consti-
tutional convention of the several
states and the sentiment of the house
was largely against that proposition
While. at the same time, there is no
division among our members upon the
question of taking such steps, if pos
sible, as are necessary to destroy the
evil complained Of
If you will look at the dates you
will find that the constitution of the
United States was finally adopted
about 127 years ago; If | remember
rightly, North Carolina was the last
state i'm 1887, that agreed to it. Since
that time many efforts have been
made to obtain a constitutional con-
vention of all the states to amend that
instrument. But there is such a strong
feeling, sentiment of love and rev.
erence for the original instrument,
that the people of the country have
not, and will not, trust themselves to
have another constitutional conven-
ton of the several states for the pur-
pose of changing, altering and pulling
to pieces that sacred compact of the
original thirteen states.
Mr.. Speaker, the remedy that is
proposed in the memorial now under
discussion provides the shortest and
safest way to amend, without taking
the chances of losing or changing the
intent and purpose of those last two
amendments. You will find upon ex-
animation that some fifteen amend
nents have been added during the last
III years to the original instrument,
and each and every one OF those
amendments has become part of the
constitution of the United States by
the mode proposed In this memorial.
That is to say, when congress by
two-thirds vote in each house pro-
posed the amendment. and three
fourths of the several states accept it,
II then becomes a part Of the consti-
tuition You will observe that in addi-
tion of the noraiists and lhilanthr2-
morally speaking, polygamy. now agi-
tating the country, I have included
In the memorial that other question,
divorce, which isI also agitating the
public mind and attracting the atten-
tion of the moralists and philantrho-
pists, and. in fact all the good people
of the land. / believe that congress
should propose an amendment to the
constitution to enable the country to
have proper, and the necessary uni-
form divorce laws. so that they would
be the same in each and every state.
And it is for that reason that have
introduced this memorial to congress,
requesting them to propose the neees-
sary amendment covering these two
subjects, believing that the necessary
and proper laws upon these two ques-
tions. when properly enforced. would
result in great good to the welfare.
and happiness Of our country. I OBJ
serve that a number Of the different
states have already sent memorials to-
congress upon the ore supece tn-ssit.
that Of poIygamy, vet I believe that
the matter of divorce should be uni-8
form throughout all the several states;
and for that reason / hope that the
memorial will be adopted"