The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-12-20
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.

The Duluth Heralds comments in
the following are of interest and
might apply to North Dakota:
Rhode Island has enacted a new law
which provides that marriage licenses
shall not be valid until five DAYS fol-
lowing their issuance nave elapsed.
This is a recognition of the fact
that at the root of the more prominent
divorce problem there is a marriage
problem. 1t is an admission that to a
very great extent the reason for the
disgraceful number of divorces is that
there is a disgraceful number of TASTY
and ill-judged marriages which are
doomed to failure from the beginning.
In short like the similar law which
Wisconsin enacted several years ago.
this law is an attempt to force young
people to take time to think it over
before they marry, whether they wish
to do so or not.
Well aimed, these laws miss fire to 9.
considerable extent because of the lack
OF uniformity in marriage laws among
the states. So far we have observed.
only two states have adopted this wise
and commendable law; all others still
permit marriages just as hastily ar
ranged as they possibly can be- Some
states still allow marriages without
requiring licenses at all Those who
are married in Wisconsin and Rhode
Island are required to think it over
five days after they take out their H.
censes; but if they do not wish to
think 1T over all they have to do is TO
| slim an n6 \
! evade the law. In Wisconsin this
isn't easy except on the borders of the
state, but in Rhode Island it is very
easy indeed. Take few steps in any
direction and you are outside the state
boundaries.
The close relation between hasty
marriages and divorce has often been
described by The Forum Some years
ago when Wisconsin required no mar
riage license at all while a license
was necessary in Minnesota, it used
to be very common for Duluth couples
to make up their minds to marry. often
on the spur of the moment, too often
in the excitement of carousal. and to
take a street car over to Superior.
where they were married. In those
| days a considerable proportion of the
divorce cases in the district court Of
| st. Louis county-much more than half
we believe-were based on marriages
performed In Superior. The associa-
ton is too obvious to require COM
ment.
Then Wisconsin adopted its law re-
curing licenses to be taken out five
days previous to the marriage. and
this demoralizing industry ceased.
Now, however, while Minnesota re-
quires marriage licenses, there is no
requirement as to time. A license can
be taken out one moment, and the NEXT
the parties can be married in the pro
bate court. Many of these marriages
are of Wisconsin people. The burden
of offense against the institution of
marriage has been shifted from wis
consin to Minnesota.
Proper marriage laws would not
solve the divorce problem, because
other matters enter into 1t also But
1t would help, beyond any question, If
there were In each state such require
ments as those OF Wisconsin and
Rhode Island which force those con-
templating matrimony to give at least
FIVE days to thinking IL over. Al decent
amount Of consideration would stop a
large number of marriages; and Of
such marriages very large proper
ton land In tine divorce court, increas-
ing the divorce statistics and augment
ing a national shame.