Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-11
CT, ,RGYMEN ON REMARRIAGE
Burlington Ministers Explain
Their Positions.
Methodist Pastor Declares That Nnst
Numbcr of Applications from d.
,orced Persons shows Dcpior-
nbic condition Of Affairs.

"I have had more applicati IONS for
re-marriago by divorced persons dur
ing the two years utat | have been in
Vermont than during the so years /
a. in New York state. There ccr-
family is n dcplorable condition of af-
fairs in Vermont"
This statement was made last night
bv thc Rev. G. V. Grismer. pastor of
the Methodist church. when asked to
state mis- attitude on the question OF the
ro-mnrIidee OF divorced persons. DR..
Grismcr was interviewed in connection
with the signed statement appearing
in yesterday mornings Free Press in
wnich rulcs were adopted bv Burling-
ton cIrr4Nmcn, designed to make it
more difficult for divorced pors !, ~
rc-marrN
Ir. Gilsmer said that his church
went further than the rules set forth
In the agaccment ami instructed it's
pastors to- refuse to rc-marro anyone
'>ccpt perhaps tha iuno.cn party to
"a divorce obtained On statutory
grounds. H. said that he had had
nany requests from divorced parties
for a marriage ceremony. and cited
one instance where a divorce had been
granted th, latter part Of one week
and tho parties applied to him to Ne
married tho Monday following. Mr..
Grsnor said that tine provision II. the
agreement just signed bv the Curling
ton pastors. making it impossible for
divorced !, rfons to be rc-marricd hv
them untl at least year had clapscd
since the divorce, was a very GOOD foa-
turc.
The agreement signed by the nastors
is In the nature of minimum arrange
ment, considered to be the least that
each may demand in considering The
question OF re-marrying divorced per-
sons. Nearly all of the pastors GO
"uch iurther even in their demands
Tor satisfactory evidence of good
fhith on tn" part of persons who wish
y" be re married, but the agreement
is CONSIDERED adequate for what might
he termed a fair working basis So That
ne pastors may present "A SOLID front.
70 certain degree. against the ten
oehcH of nasty e-marriages anon,
divorced persons
IN" agreement signed by the pastors is
, modification of a set of rules prenared
~ the Rev Rufus G. Flagg pastor of the
congregational Church of Winoosii. and
presented TO the ministers at a recent
ihcetlnS. The provisions contained in the
agreement that was sibned are
!. Satisfactory documentary evidence
regarding the divorce shall be furnished
:. In cases in which the minister has
no personal knowledge of the applicants
necessary.
/ y. There shall be no re-marrage Of di-
vorced persons until AT least one year has
/ elapsed since The divorce
( In the origna. agreement drawn I'M by
| Lr. flago the provisions were as follows
mo nHrriuge If divorced persons ex-
cept upon presentation OF full documen-
tary Information feearding the divorce
! 2-No marriage Of persons who com.
| from a distance for such purpose, as
such a step is open t. suspicion.
I 3.-Ona Year must elapsc from the time
! of the divorce.
mo marriage Of the guilty party it
case of a divorce granted for adultery
/ intolerahlc severity or desertion.
No marriage of anyone who ha,
/ been divorced more than once.
/ pr FlaEg said last evening that his po-
sition in the matter was. somewhat in adj
vance of the provision set down in the
signed agreement. He said he should no
want to marry persons who had been d.
vOrced On the grounds of adultery. intol
. cradle severity or desertion As he did
not consider such PERSONS lit to live in IN,
state OF matrimony. Neither would n,
marry. he said, persons who came to hin
from Il distance for the express purpos,
of being re-married
The Rev. I. &. Smart, pastor of tn,
College street Church, stated that hi
position also went far beyond :h'
provisions contained in the agreement
and that he always refused to re
marry anyone except the innocent
party to a divorce obtained on statu-
tory grounds. The effective thing
about the agreement according to D.
Smart, is the provision prohibiting re
marriage for year Dr. smart state,
that he had quite a number Of appli
cations from persons who wished t.
ra-marry. but that so far "a, his atti-
tudc was concerned the persons might
fulhl AL the rcquromcnta OF tn,
signed agreement and St,il he Woult
refuse 20 re-marrN them
The Rev Ernest q. Guthri" said
that the purpose of the agreement
was to stiffen up the method of re-
marrying and to establish the fact
that burlington was not centei
whore one can easily get married il
one is divorced. There have been diff
hculties in the past, he said, whicl
have all been leading up to tn" agree
nent on the part of the pa tors Per
sons are coming all the time. said Mr.
Guthrie. to be rc-marrleG. and it has
been difficult to tell whether they are
seeking to avoid publicity by helms
married away from their friends
Heretofore the pastors have ha'
nothing but the marriage license is
sued at the city clerks office to guild
them. Now the parties wishing L
re-marry must produce an officia
document showing the decree of th
courts ana even when this is pro
duced said Mr. Guthrie. the pastor
may refuse to perform the ceremony
Mr., Guthrie said that one result @
the agreement would be TO curtai
long stories on the part of person
: wishing to re-marry as the absenc
, OF documentary evidence would a
, once preclude any marriage cercmon,
The Rev. James s. Braker, paste
, of the First baptist church. state
! that his denomination gave its clergy
men considerable liberty in mdgin
whom they should re-marry and tina
there was need for great care on Ia
I part of marrying elergymen. He sal