The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-18
THE PRESIDENT ON DIVORCES

The announced determination of
President Taft to devote attention dur
ing his electioneering trip to tho di-
vorce question is of good deal Of pub
lie interest. No doubt the case of
Colonel j. j, Astor, which has stirred
the public mind so profoundly for
the past month, has had much TO do
with the conclusion Of the President to
devote his attention TO this matter.
Colonel Astor is reported as saying, 81
sympathize heartily with the most
stratlaced people in most of their
ideas as TO the evils of divorce. But
of course, he considers his case Pc
culiar; and any way. he is of the opin-
ion that man ought to be given a
chance TO remedy first error in mar.
riage; but, if he has had the first and
second chance, then Astor claims to be
as rigid against any further matri-
monial experiments as anybody, This
is rather unique position to take;
but, after all, ii simply amounts TO this,
that every man sees an excuse for what
he does himself, but none for what the
other man does
On the religious side large section
of the ministry of the East is out in
denunciation of the minister who per-
formed the marriage ceremony for
Colonel Astor and his Madeline. This
dcnuncation, however, will have no
effect on that minister; for, first of
all, he is doubtless clear in his own
conscience about it, and the Congrega
tional church, OF which he is mip-
lister, allows great latitude 10 its sep
aratc congregations, and wide discre
tion TO its ministers in matters Of doc
trine and ministerial views.
President Taft, 1t is stated, will de-
vote his attention to urging uniform
divorce laws in all of the States,
and prohibiting the marriage in any
State of person who has been di-
vorced, either in that State or in any
other State of the Union. But the
futility of expecting the States to pass
demonstrated. The State of Nevada
gets benefit from the divorce "busi-
ness, aod directly panders to it;
and other States do the same. Success
siye States have done 1t in their time;
Indiana, South Dakota, and now Ne
vada. The fact is, that in large
number OF the States there is pro-
nounced tendency toward more lib
erality in divorce laws. and in grant.
ing divorces. The sentiment in oppo.
sition to divorce is chiefly sectional,
and is persisted in strenuously in the
older States, but the bars are let down
by most OF the new States. And we
may say in passing that we do not un-
derstand on what basis court in
any State can refuse to acknowledge a
divorce granted in any other State,
since every State is enjoined by the
Constitution to give full faith and
credit TO ofhclal acts IN any other
State. And we believe that If any case
were contested where a court, say i'm
New York, refuses 10 give due faith
and credit to divorce had in Nevada,
that the Supreme Court Of the United
States would hold under the Constitu-
tion that the New York court was in
error
The real cure for the divorce evil,
and for a uniform system of legislation
on that and on marriages. lies in the
assumption by the Federal Govern
ment, after n Constitutional amend.
ment. Of complete jurisdiction over mar
riages and divorces. Then. and then
only. can we have in this country any
real standing for American citizens.