The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-10

course OF discussion that j am
here in the interest or Client.
OF course, 1 am. 1 am not here
for my health" LTD.
Thus spoke attorney Jack" Lee, of
Lynchburg, at the public hearing be-
fore the House Committee for Courts
OF Justice, Wednesday night. on the
Rison divorce bill. Mr.. Lee made no
concealment of the fact that he and
his partner were there in the interest
of one man who desired to have this
bin passed in his own interest. 1t
Is understood that Mr.. Lees client is
rich man living in neighboring
city. who is now separated from his
wife and is DESTROYS of getting per-
manent divorce in order that he may
marry another woman.
The meeting Wednesday night was
one of the most notable ever held in
the hall of the House of Delegates.
number OF ladies were present at
the opening, but upon the suggestion
of Attorney Lee they retired before
the hearing was begun Every seat
in the hall was occupied and stand
ing room was at premium. The
bishop of Virginia, the rabbi of the
Jewish synagogue and number of
ministers of various denominations
were there. There were present also
representatives of the bar OF Rich
mond and of Petersburg, and strong
papers were read from ministers or
CARNATIONS and bar associations. and
kilograms from Norfolk, Petersburg.
Charlottesville and Fredericksburg,
all protesting against the passage OF
the BILL 1t was such an array OF
moral forces as has rarely been seen
in this city of notable meetings, all
protesting against. letting down the
bars, all speaking for personal purity
and the sanctity of the honte ana
family @
On the other side were two paid
attorneys acting in the interests OF one
man.
The meeting was spectacular and In
some of its phases dramatic. 1t was
a meeting for sentiments sake. II
was crusade for purity. 1t was a
demonstration against the divorce evil.
The speakers who championed the
cause were applauded and sometimes
cheered when point was scored.
The Opening Gun.
Chairman Roosevelt Page presided
over the meeting and was fair to all
interests. The discussion was opened
: by MT. .. v. hNihPs VI 6t
mariner of Mr. Lee. who argued that
the divorce laws OF this country and
of England were for the good of So
ciety and not for the individual. He
held to the doctrine that nothing tend
ed so much to produce immortality as
prohibition of matrimony. He SAID
that in South Carolina, where there
was no divorce law. there was stat
ute which forbade .any man to be-
uueath more than one-third or his es-
tate to his concubine. He left his
audience draw it's own inference He
claimed that this bill was not unusual.
hut that Louisiana, Michigan and Cali
ifornia had such statute. and that
he believed II to be in the interest OF
good morals.
Resolutions of Protest.
At the conclusion of Mr.. kefnps
remarks. resolutions of protest were
read from the Episcopal Glorious. the
Y. NJ C. A., mass meeting. and tele-
grams from preachers in Fredericks-
burg. Charlottesville. Alexandria and
Petersburg. Delegate Cooke read a
protest from the Norfolk clericus and
DR.. James Cannon from the Methoofst
preachers meeting.
DIR. S. c. Hatcher. who had charge
of the program for the opposition,
presented DIR. James Cannon as the
first speaker for that side. DR.. Can
non said that divorce was the great
est enemy of the home, that the home
was the pillar of society and that this
bill was in the interest of divorce. He
pointed out that there were $4,000
600 church members in this country.
that one of the great denominations
did not countenance divorce for any
cause. and that most of the others
recognized only two causes, adultery
and desertion. He said that divorces
we're becoming alarmingly frequent, 1t
being shown that for every twelve
marriages there is oHe divorce. He In
sisted that the Legislature should be
very careful how 1t modified the di-
vorce law of Virginia, and should
weigh well the reasons for the change.
1T ought to be shown said Dr. Can
non, that there is a demand for this
change before it Is made. Where are
the meetings or the individuals de-
handing 1t? This meeting is dividing
time between the people of Virginia
on the one hand and two lawyers on
the other
Back at Kemp.
Referring to the speech of Mr..
Kemp, he quoted that gentleman as
having said that the bill was In the
interest of society. IF he can prove
that" said DIR. Cannon. ne viii win
his cause, but 1 do not believe that he
can. ] believe that society demands
that a halt be called and that tho di-
vorce laws be made more stringent
and not more lax. - Then taking I'm
the bill under discussion DIR. Cannon
expressed the opinion that the man
who is guilty of adultery and secures
a divorce and marries again Is really.
in his last condition. guilty of moral
adultery. Or. Cannon further said
that while he was not there to cffer
an amendment to the bill. those who
favored Ii should so amend II ID u
make 1t clear that the guilty party
who deserted could not go into -