White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-25
BELFORO TALKS
OF DIVORCE EVIL
WILL URGE UPON APPROACHING
SESSION OF LEGISLATURE THE
NECESSITY OF AMENDMENT
TO PRESENT LAWS.

in the western part OF the state the
past week on business connected
with the state banking board, was
interviewed by representative or
the Journal while in Reno, with the
result that the well known East Ely
attorney expressed some decided
views regarding the divorce evil in
this state that will be read with in
terest by our people and conceded
with by all citizens who have the
good and welfare of the. common
wealth at heart. The Journal says:
A cutting to the very root of the
divorce law as it exists at present in
this state and an excision of many
of the evils which he sees in its pres
emf operation, is advocated by the
Hon. s. w. Belford. He declared last
night that he would not only draw
the proposed act, If necessary, but
would make an especial pilgrimage
TO Carson when the Legislature was in
session there to urge the adoption OF
the most radical amendment to the
divorce law ever proposed in this
state.
Beginning with the keynote that
he believed that there should be
some method with which mismated
couples and harmful marriage re-
lations might be given relief, Mr..
Belford stated emphatically that he
believed that such legislation, lind
ing a parallel in all states of the
union. should be enacted for the pur-
nose of washing the dirty matri-
monial linen of the country
Il believe" said Mr.. Belford,
that the conservative people OF the
entire state and even of Reno where
the evil has been the most noticeable,
will agree with me that scarcely any
thing has eontrived to bring the
state into so great disrepute as the
notorious looseness of the divorce
laws. People everywhere regard II
as n reflection on the name of the
state and they feel fully competent
TO get along in prosperity without Il.
In reply to a question as TO the na-
tnre of the remedy 10 be proposed.
Mr.. Belford outlined the following
points.
First. the requirement of bona
fide residence. with statutory def
milton of that indicated by the de-
mand that no complaint be received
until the party had resided in the
state for at least one year.
Second. the provision that no alb
solute decree be granted but that an
interloeutory decree be handed down
with the right on the part of either
party TO reopen the case within SIX
months for re-hearing on a showing
of fraud or proof of the absence of a
bona fide residence"
Mr.. Belford stated that he did not
believe that he would advocate the
changing of the provisions enumeral-
ing the grounds of divorce, and he
also discussed the proposed remedy
wherein the state is made a party in
interest in the suit for divorce with
the duty imposed on the district at
torney 10 appear for the state in all
default cases and question the COM
planning witnesses.
This provision does not work well
in practice" said Mr.. Belford. 1T
gets so that the district attorney per
forms his duty in purely perfume
tory manner and the benefit Is not
gained. In Colorado they had the
same law. but the last Legislature re-
pealed it because it was not praetie-
able"
Discussing the probable effect of
the passage of such a law as he out
lined, Mr.. Belford said that 1t would
as a matter of necessity make Ne
yada practically on a plane of equal
ity with other states. The residence
if acquired would be apt to be bona
flde because there would be no more
advantage in coming to Nevada than
in coming TO any other state.
DEPRESSING from the subject proper
the discussion was turned to review
of the recent decision i'm New York
refusing to recognize Nevada decrees.
Mr. Belford was asked if he would
suggest any remedy whereby this de-
feet in the force of Nevada deerees
might be corrected. He said that he
would not and that in addition he
believed that most of the one-sided
DEGREES in this state were of no force
and would be torn to shreds before
long.
Where property rights or descent
is involved these DEGREES are worth
less" he said, land before long the
people will begin to reap the whirl-
wind"
Mr. Belford further declared that
he would also urge the repeal of the
law permitting prize fighting in this
state
The people of Nevada are in line
with the civilized sentiment of the
world and do not want prize fights
Nevada has sufficient resources and
the people are Industrious enough
and progressive enough to advance
the state without making 1t dump
Ing ground for the rejected of al
other states" said he.