The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-07
Only Colored School
l.. A. Topson, ga West 5th st., Gin, Ohio

that mo contract for marriage, If
otherwise duly made, shall be invali
dated for want OF conformity to any
religious sect" Wide latitude Is al
lowed In the various states in the
choice of the celebrant of the mar
riage. He may be any qualified
civil officer, or any minister Of the
gospel, and in Arkansas, under spec
ial provision, the governor himself
may Officiate.
Some states are stern In their de-
cisiOn as to whom one may marry.
Marriage between whites and per-
sons of negro descent is prohibited
in twcnty-six states. Marriage be-
tween whites and Indians is prohib-
tied In four states, and between
whites and Chinese in five states. In
Virginia a provision Of old English
common law is still in force which
prohibits man from marrying his
deceased wife's sister. though other
states have laws Permitting woman
to marry any and all Of her broth
ers-in-law who may be willing, pro-
vided of course she marries them
one at q time. Connecticut forbids
feeble minded women to marry. New
Jersey decides that as the deaf and
dumb do not come under the head
of imbeciles they may marry within
her borders. The law makers Of
Vermont have gravely ruled that a
man may marry his mOther-in-laW If
he likes. In some states a man is
prohibited from marrying his sons
wife and a woman from marrying
her daughters husband. Ohio for
bids the marriage of a drunkard, and
will actually refuse to grant a IL
cense to man who is drunk when
he asks for it.
The laws Of the states also differ
widely as to the remarriage Of di-
vorced people. In twenty-six states
the divorced may remarry when,
| where, how and whom they please,
without any qualifications whatso-
ever. In Massachusetts the refend-
ant may be married within two years
by petitioning the court and secur-
| tngs its permission. In Maine the
guilty party can never be married
without the consent Of the court In
Virginia the court may forbid the de-
fendant to marry any one but the
the plaintiff. In Louisiana a second
| marriage without divorce is valid If
either party has been absent for ten
years end Is not known by the other
party to be living. This absence and
silence Is considered sufficient to dis
solve the first marriage. In Missis-
sippi when wife secures a divorce
her husband is considered dead and
she Is counted widow. In Tennes-
see wife suing for divorce loses
| right Of dover and can under no cir
cumstances claim alimony.
While there are four other states
| In the union where the term Of resi-
| dence necessary to secure divorce
Is just as short as in South Dakota,
| the mast named state has the most
| accommodating courts Of any, and
the business Of granting while you
wait DEGREES Of separation to dissat-
isfled married people has developed
into sort Of home grown industry.
1t has been charged that the only
stipulation necessary to get a di-
vorce In South Dakota Is the pay
ment OF six months board at hotel
there. The most recent instance of
the hurry up" way Of doing things
IN the northwestern state as the
| divorce lately granted to Mrs James
@. Blaine, Jr. This lady was in q
hurry to geet to her home in Wash
tngton for Christmas, so the Judge
held a night session Of the court
while a special train was kept var
| ing. Before her marriage to Mr..
Blaine she was the beautiful Martha
Hichborn, whom the society report
ers called Martha in Lavendar."
Now she Is neither Miss Hichborn
nor Mrs. Blaine, but Mrs. Pearsall.
having promptly married again.