The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-03-07
South Dakota
Legislature;
In Plea for Homes.

In Plea for Homes.
Rt Rev. William H. Hare, of the
Episcopal diocese of South Dakota,
has sent an interesting letter to the
members Of the South Dakota legisla-
ture. The letter deals with the di-
vorce question in South Dakota, and
urges the lawmakers to take some
action to improve the divorce laws of
the state at the present session. The
letter, in part, is as follows:
ITO the Members of the Legislature
Of South Dakota: should not venture
to address you except for the follow
ing facts: I have been for thirty-four
years a citizen of South Dakota. Dur
ing that time I have travelled each
year as a missionary bishop, by wag-
on and by train, all over the state,
from east to west, from north to
south. Few men know the state and
Its people better than I. More than
half of my life has been spent in doing
what I could for the moral and relig-
ious welfare OF our people. I have
shared their sorrows in times Of
drought and distress, and 1 have re-
joiced with them in the days OF pros
perity which have crowned their forti-
tude and enterprise. I hove made my
home for over twenty years in a
boarding school for their daughters,
and while I confess that 1 have some
times been shocked to see the injuri-
Gus influence Of the divorce traffic up
on their young minds, their sensibility
to noble ideals and their promise Of
fine womanhood have been my pride
and my joy. Few men have enjoyed
more than I have the hospitality Of
the homes of the people of our state,
most Of them so healthy in morals and
attractive in all things beautiful and
good.
81 am intensely jealous regarding
the sweetness, purity and happiness of
the home life of our state. What is
called migratory divorce is striking a
terrible blow at that dear domestic
sanctuary. The people who come to
our state to seek divorce generally
have money. This possession Of
money put them in the position, al
ways influential, Of patrons. Even our
self reliant, Independent people, alas,
seem subservient to them.
Feeling as I do in this matter, I was
more than willing to accept my ap-
pointment by the governor of South
Dakota as a delegate the uniform
divorce congress, and / now beg leave
to send you with this letter copy of
the official report of that body. The
fact that ii was not a gathering of
persons of one way Of thinking, come
together by their own concerted ac-
tin, but a body of delegates appointed
by the governors of between forty and
fifty states, and composed Of men of
many different callings, will indicate
the weight which the result of their
deliberations may claim to have. The
present legislature of South Dakota
may not see its way clear to adopt all
the recommendations of the congress
on uniform divorce; but trust that its
members will carefully scrutinniZe the
sources from which opposition comes
and will not let the action of the con-
gress pass by without some material
Improvement in the laws of our state
on marriage and divorce"
Stops Sunday AmuSements.
A bill was signed by the governor
tuesday which prohibits Sunday the
1ters and any Sunday games or sports
to which an admission fee is charged,
making the penalty a fine of S25.
Anti-Treating Bill Dead.
The antitreating bill took probably
its last rornd at this session by going
down to defeat for lack of one vote in
the senate Tuesday. Dudley wanted
to amend 1t to exempt Democrats at
all times and everybody on st. Fat
rfck's day, which was lost on tie
vote. Vessey spoke for the bill in
the interest of temperance and Dudley
denounced it as a freak. While strong
efforts have been made to carry it the
ohe vote which has been lacking for
over a week failed 20 come to tho res
cue and it went down.
Banking Bill Fails.
Bratrud Tuesday attempted to over
turn an adverse report on his bill to
create a state board of deposits, to Sc
lect the banks which shall receive de-
posits Of state funds, but failed in the
effort and the bill is dead.
The only bill of Importance passed
by the house Tuesday was the senate
bill creating a state board of osteopa-
thy, which passed.
County Option Petition.
The petition for putting the question
OF local outiOn To a vote Of the peop1e