Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-03-13
UPHoLDs DIVORCE LAW.

True to the dctatiOn of the business men of
Reno, who fatten off of the purses of the mem
hers of the notorious colony " the Reno Gazette
of last Friday consumes about three columns of
space IN a defense of the divorce law" of Ne
vada in its controversy with former Senator Dix
Smith of New York. Mr. Smith carried to Reno
the startling information that divorce syndi-
cate had been formed to care for the marital
ills of $4,000 Europeans and that this mann
moth cargo of matrimonial derelcts would soon
be iourneying RenOward The Gazette arises in
its might and dignity and challenges Mr.. Smith
to give all the information he has concerning the
syndicate" In answer to a former editorial
in the Gazette Mr. Smith stated he twas boost
ing for Nevada when the writer of the editorial
was in his swaddling clothes This remark
apparently riled the filler of the editorial col
umns of the Gazette who Immediately proceeded
to turn loose vitrol shower upon the head of
Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith, in letter addressed to the Ca
zette, promises to produce evidence to the effect
that several good business enterprises and fac
tories have been lost to Reno owing to the di-
vOrce colony. He also retaliates with a ques-
ton, which asks the Gazette to define it's posi-
ton OH divorce" With not blush of shame
the Gazette brazenly asserts that the present
laws IN this state are, to all intents and pur-
poses the best III the world. In the defense
the Gazette makes some startling charges against
the divorce laws of New York state, which may
be true but which seem to be considerably over
drawn. That portion of the ''defense' which is
considered worthy of being played up in black
faced type by the Gazette reads:
The editor OF this paper believes that the
man and woman who are unhappily married
have a right to end that unhappiness through
divorce. We believe in the pursuit of happ-
ness, and because of words spoken by priest or
Judge we would not condemn to misery forever
while on this earth those who were unfortunate
enough to have made mistake, which resulted
in those words being spoken We believe that
the law OF Nevada as it now stands has infinite
ly more OF charity and human kindness than
has the law of New York Of which state Mr.
Smith prdes himself upon being citizen
Maybe wrong in all this but it is hon
est error. And if we have to err we should pre-
fer to do it as does Nevada rather than as does
New York. where a man may beat his wife and
starve her and where there is no chance for her
ever to try again, future for her to look for
ward to when happiness may come to her, un-
| less finally she discovers that her husband has
| violated the seventh commandment
Possibly the centuries will show that New
! York s attitude is the right one, but in all sin
/ cerity doubt it. for the simple reason that
| It does not seem to be in accord with what we
| believe a kind and just Gods scheme of things
would be-
Maybe the day will come when we shall
change our opinions maybe the law of this state
will be so abused and the demands of decency
so outraged by those who come to avail them
selves OF its liberalty that the Gazette will fee
that change of some sort must be made II
that time comes, all of Nevada will know the
Gazette S opinion; it will not be hidden under {
sheaf OF letters from prominent men Of Other
states