The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-13
Richmond Pastors Think Leg
jsIature Should Take Action
on Subject.
BETTER MARRIAGE LAWS
OPINIONS UNANIMOUS THAT
MARRIAGE is TAKEN TOO
IIcHTLY-SHOULD BE HARDER
TO GET LICENSE.

ana at us pTeSeuL SeSSioh T" ~ DS "Sia
ed and will be expected to remodel
existing divorce laws, making them OF
a more stringent nature. and thus
throwing obstacles in the way oil
those who seek freedom from martial
ties. is regarded as certain.
The last session of the general as
sembly amended the divorce and mar
riage laws to some extent but not all
of the recommendations offered were
embodied in the measures which
were enacted.
Throughout Indiana it is recognized
generally that divorce legislation is
needed, and perhaps no class OF citi-
zens is better able to indicate to the
the ministers. Not only do they
stand for rigid divorce laws, but they
also advocate more restrictions of a
legal nature thrown about the marri-
age ceremony. A number of Rich
mond ministers were asked yesterday
by the Palladium to express their
views as to legislation on these lines
and without exception they recogniz-
ed the need of such.
Expressions on the Subject.
Some of the expressions follow:
The Rev. T. III. Kuhn.-'I favor not
only a more stringent divorce law but
by all means iron clad marriage laws
There is where the weakness really
lies. The thought has suggested itself
to me that the community should be
allowed to have voice in all marri-
ages. 1t could be done by having a
responsible committee to act in con-
Jtnct.oD vgith tho css-rt-r .ssrss. in or-
der to pass on the eligibility Of aD-
plicants for marriage license. The
applicants should be made to make
known their intention of marrying to
this committee and should be able TO
give proof of their worthiness sOr the
union. Friends under my plan would
have the right to appear against the
applicants. and protest against the
marriage if they thought it improper.
Reasons sufficient to prevent maTri-
age licenses being granted are im-
becility. inebriety, incipiency. race
distinction, improvidence ard laZi.
ness, corrupting and violating habits.
Crime idiocy, deformity, depravity
and pauperism, all of which become
burdensome to society, church and
state have their origin in large mea
sure in miserable unhappy marriage
relationships thus formed
The Rev. Raymond Wade-"I must
tIx,& - r
lean much to the Catholic view of il.
A point wherein all divorce laws are
noticeably weak is that they are not
uniform. The laws of all states
should correspond and all should be
made much more stringent. But the
matter of divorce would be greatly
simplified if greater care were taken
with marriages. Measures too ex-
treme cannot be taken to prevent
those with defections from forming
an unhappy union. Those who marry
owe society a great debt and not
enough precaution is taken to see
that this debt is paid. like the
Catholic manner of announcing the
bans of marriage and l would under
no circumstances permit secret mar
riages. Trial marriages would prove
too dear an experiment. The mate
ing is not such a serious problem.
The great problem is to prevent the
marriage of those whose off springs
will do society harm"
Rev. T.. G.. Howard-.I am in hear
ty accord with any movement that
will bring about a more uniform di-
vorce law in this country. The laws
of all states should be alike on the
subject. / believe that the sacred
vows of marriage should be protected
and only those persons who are thor
oughly capable of realizing the full
meaning of the VOWS of matrimony,
be allowed 10 take them. This would
in a great measure do away with the
unhappy marriages now so often sol
emnized"
Rev. Clarence NJ. Case-"Althcush
l have not made the divorce evil a
special subject of study or thought.
j am favorably impressed by the
statement made recently from an In
diana pulpit TO the effect that a law
requiring the bans TO be published at
least six months before marriage
"odAN dO SoiuCCiluS III ItID4uN the
evil. The trouble however is too deep
seated to be regulated entirely by sta
tute. Marriage is too lightly regard
ed by many people. There are those
who seem to regard it as a mere ami
NAL union, to be dissolved at pleas
ure- The foolish practice of mock
marriages, or genuine ceremonies
conducted in show windows. on
smoke stacks and etc, is degrading to
the public, lowering ideals of marri-
age. All that make men and women
of higher ideals and character will
tend to elevate the marriage relation.
The home is the place where much of
this work must be done, but a statute
making it more difficult to marry
would be beneficial