The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-25

Philadelphia, Aug. 25.-The APP
preaching wedding of Miss Madeline
Force and Col. John Jacob .Astor of
New York meets with the disapproval
Of Ex-Governor Pennypacker who
terms the proceedings "disgraceful'
because Col. Astor was divorced by
his wife, who was Miss Willing Of
Philadelphia, and forbidden under the
decree to remarry.
Gov. Pennypacker's reference to the
union of Miss Force and Col Astor
was made to-day in a talk on the
need of uniform State divorce laws.
He said that the wedding would set
a harmful example.
A resolution introduced in the clos
ing days of Congress requesting Pres
ident Taft to call conference of Gov
errors to consider "a divorce law to be
either uniform in all the States or
national in it's scope does not appeal
specially to Mr.. Pennypacker
The reason is not that Mr.. Penny
packer is not deeply interested in haV-
ing uniform divorce law enacted, but
he thinks that such a conference of
Governors called by the President sa-
vors too, much of Federal interference
in State matters, and besides he points
out that the law drafted by the ma
tional Congress on uniform divorce in
1906 is a sufficient basis for the various
State Legislatures to act on.
The national congress was called
that year by Mr.. Pennypacker while
he was Governor and the proceedings
were participated in by distinguished
lawyers, clergymen and statesmen from
practically every State in the Union.
The law which was then drafted has
since been passed by New Jersey,
Delaware and a few other states
The widespread interest in the COM
ing Aston Force wedding has renewed
i,,4A
and is supposed to have been the mo-
tive behind the suggested conference
of Governors.
Regarding the wedding of Col AS
tor Mr.. Pennypacker had this to say:
From my own personal viewpoint
think the proceedings are disgrace
full. Here is the case: Col. John
Jacob Aston came over here to Phila-
delphia and married a young woman
from an old and reputable family La
ter on he misbehaVed in New York and
she left him. When the court hand
ed down it's decree Col. Astor was for
hidden to remarry in the State of New
York, but in a short time he meets
a young woman whose family has been
dazzled by his diamonds and his
wealth and he at once, according to
report, has taken steps to go into some
other Commonwealth to marry her.
Il think it is all very sad and very
QlSSTdCSIul. VI course InlS pdfl1Cu-
lar case is only an incident and 1 men,
ton it simply because of the wide
spread publicity given to it and there
fore the harmful effect it will have
through suggestion.
You know we do things largely
through suggestion. man was
walking down the streets of London
and passing a hardware store he saw a
large knife and purchased it. A few
minutes later he met the Duke Of
Buckingham and cut him to pieces.
This man. it was thought was dement,
ed but the sight of the knife in that
shop window suggested that to him.
This affair up in Coatesville was
horrible but it may happen again al
most anywhere and at any moment.
The thought of burning somebody has
now suggested itself to us, and it may
happen over in Chester county to-
morrow.
80 it is with this Astor affair. Men
and women see him Haunting his con-
tempt for the sacredness of marriage
in the face of the law of state and
God, and it is suggested to them that
they can do likewise
Indeed it has come to pass that
men nowadays on the principle that
if they don't suit they can soon get
freed from the bargain and hunt
around for other partners.
1.-THE case of Aston is conspicuous
and terribly harmful because the same
thought regarding marriage is abroad
in the land, and it is truly bad con-
dition.
cit is all because of our lax di-
vorce laws. What we need is rigid,
uniform State statutes, not national
legislation. This is a situation that
the States should regulate, not the
Federal Government"
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