The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-10-30

DIG or South Dakota, III to thei1
earnest and thoughtful attention the
statement and appeal contained herein.
William H.. Hare, Bishop, Episcopal.
w. II. Thrall, Supt. of Missions, Congrega'
tiOnal.
H. X. Warren. President Yankton College.
Coe l. Crawford, Governor of South Dakota
C.. IL. French, President Huron College.
Martin Remp, Dean Huron College.
IL, p. Carson, Synodical Missionary, Pres
byterian.
c. il. Hager. Presiding Elder. Methodist.
Anthony G. Tuve, President Augustana Col.
Joseph r. Anderson. President Christian En-.
Z. !. Ordal. President Lutheran Normal
J. Q. Dobson, District superintendent, Meth.
OdiSt.
Frederick Foote Johnson, Assistant Bishop,
S. f. Kerfoot. President Dakota Wesleyan
University.
W., I; Graham, District Superintendent,
Thomas orGorman, Bishop, Roman Catholic.
Geo. +. Hopkins, District superintendent.
Methodist.
Ebel w. Martin, and many others.
I'll. LAWS NOW REFERRED TO TIL PROFILE
The Legislature of South Dakota of
1907 enacted three statutes which prac-
tically said to the pro TEN immigrants
from other states seeking divorce in
South Dakota:
First, you have abused our law
which gives you, after six months resi-
dence. liberty to sue for divorce in our
courts. Hereafter you cannot import
conjugal scandals from other states
into South Dakota courts unless you
have resided here in good faith for
oNE WHOLE YEAR.
Second, you cannot take up residence
in one county and slip off to some I'M
known county and bring your suit for
divorce and make publication OF it
there. You must bring you suit
where you actually live.
Third. you must bride your passion.
You can not hurry your case through
by pushing it before the judge 10 his
private room at the time which suits
you. You must bring it at a EGuLA
TERM OF COURT.
(The words Of the law will be found at
the end Of this %article.)
l. The DEMAND FoT THESE LAWS.
1t was high time that the Legislature
should take this action; for the divorce
traffic carried on by the pro TEN i'm
migrants had made South Dakota the
butt of the land. 1t was notorious
that large numbers of persons came to
South Dakota from other states only
for the purpose Of seeking divorce. but
swore that they had come hither to
take up bona fide residence, brought
their suit after six months show of
stay here, almost always left the state
forever Immediately after securing
their divorce, and often were soon mar.
ried 10 the illicit lover who had sup
planted the lawful partner. Blessed
as we are with great advantages. we
ought to be famous; this traffic makes
us infamous. AS a young state. we
need credit this traffic brings discredit.
EVIDENCE OF THIS. One of our news.
papers, the Sioux Falls Press, ia a re.
cent editorial, remarked:
Ask a school boy of Massachusetts what
Sioux Falls is famous for. and his answer
this city.
This week Mrs. Howard Gould returned
to the stage for a society play before New
fork's 800 in the Plaza hotel. The
newspaper report of it says: Each sally
at Sioux Falls, each divorce epigram brought
out a ripple Of applause
The New York Evening Post, writing OF
the pro tenn immigrants to South Dakota
seeking divorce, says:
One does not need to take a high view
OF the sacredness OF marriage, or a low
view or divorce to pronounce all this de-
nioraiiz1ng and shocking. This is the very
chaos Of marriage and it is no wonder
that respectable citizens OF South Dakota
are moving against such demoralizing exhibit
lions In self defense"
The Lynchburg, Va, Advance: 1.-THE Da.
kota plan Is more according TO the Koran
or the Book Of Mormon. When a Turk or
= a,sc ramso OF Joe Smith marries half a
all. But the gay Lothario in Dakota can
get on with the old love before he is on with
the new. He can have as many wives "a he
chooses, but he must take them one 1T 4
time"
The Chicago Herald: with all the no.
toriety, criticism and general ridicuIe that
have fallen to the share Of South Dakota
on account Of her lax divorce laws. it is .
against them has been heard from citizens
of that state"
The Public Ledger Of Philadelphia, says:
THE South Dakota divorce business Is a
brutal commercial transaction"
And again: 1.-THE enterprising men Of
Sioux Falls understood from the beginning
of the business that they had a golden
opportunity. and they took advantage OF 1t.
just as they would prepare for grain ship
ments or for the mule trade or traffic in
hogs"
One newspaper looks upon South Dakota
as a laundry for the people OF other states
and says: "A great many unhappy couples,
learning that the Dakotas had set M a
washery for soiied linen. preferred to send
their linen over there for cleansing and air
ing. 1t spared them unpleasant notoriety
at ONE"
South Dakota having thus become
notorious for a hateful traffic. is 1t any
wonder II the words "South Dakota
on a trunk, or on a suit case, or in a
hotel register, especially If preceded by
the words "Sioux Falls excite a look
OF disagreeable curiosity and have
come to be a badge Of dishonor?
II. 1t vas high time for another
reason that the Legislature should take
this action. The divorce traffic was
eating like a gangrene into the moral
There is a strike on among the rail
workers at Ostersund, due to an
o%fonpt On tho mart OF the cOmnanv