White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-09
LET STATES MAKE
THEIR OWN LAWS
SEyADA's DIVORCE STATUTE
PREVENTS OTHER COMMON
WEALTHS FROM ARCHAIC
ACTION, SAYS SAM BELF0RD.

There was a big mass meeting,
at Reno, Monday. for the purpose Of
creating sentiment in favor Of
amending the divorce law OF the
state. making IL necessary to reside
in the state one year IN order 10
legally sever the marriage ties. The
Barnes bill now before the legisla-
ture modifes the law in this respect,
and the Reno mass meeting which
was i~nstigated by the women 0
the city and was largely attended.
brought OUT ONE very foreible OPP
iDions in favor OF extending the
time of residence in Nevada, in Of
der to secure a divorce. The meet
ing also took action to seure a large
attendance at Carson City when the
bill is reported out Of committee,
and a committee was appointed TO
make arrangements for trasnsporta-
ton and special rates for the lobby
lists, who viii wish to 20 to the
capital city and work for the pro-
posed change in the law.
Hon. Sam W. Bedford, formerly of
Ely, but now a resident OF Reno.
was one Of the speakers at the
meeting, and expressed himself in
his usual forceful manner. No
doubt is left as to how Mr.. Bedford
stands on the subject. He spoke in
substance. as follows:
Il was once indiscreet enough
he said, TO give an interview on
demning Nevada and Reno for main
tanning a divorce colony. | was
wholesomely cursed and abused for
it. Bot / was confident then, as now,
that the only thing needed to end
this statewide disgrace was TO chal-
lenge public opinion. The manhood
and womanhood OF Nevada cannot
fail.
There is little TO be said for the
divorce colony and much against ii.
Ii is astonishing that there are peo-
pie who ayowedly wish 10 perpetu-
When the state measures a moral
question by its weight in dollars. IL
is time for Nevada to take an inyen-
tory for the future of its children.
National prosperity and moral wrong
never have and never will go hand
In hand. We only ask that the legis-
lature remove Nevada from the list
of outlaw commemorative. We
should change the law from the
very fact that because We have it
here, we are preventing other states
from remodeling their archaic stat
utes. If we tell New Workers that
they cannot come here for divorce,
they will stay at home and rouse
public sentiment. Let them remodel
New Yorks laws In New York; not
In Nevada.
Prominent members of the bar
advance as a conclusive argument
that the divorce residence should be
six months because the residence for
the fanchise is six months. Sup
pose men moved TO vote and then
moved right out again. How long
would we tolerate it?
"A years residence for divorce will
make IT no object to these temporary
sojourners to come TO Nevada. Why
use our courts as a common laundry
through which the matrimonial
dirty linen OF the nation may be
washed?
"The Washoe delegation has an
nounced, probably without fear of
contradiction. that its majority re-
presents Reno and Washoe county.
| went to Carson City to protest
against that. because ! believe that
the majority of the people OF Reno
and Washoe county are God-fearing
people and viii not stand by and
see such a vote taken at the behest of
a few merchants and a few men out
of many.
"Will the merchants fighting the
IL months clause come here and tell
you they are supported by 500 di-
vorcees, rather than by 10000 eiti-
zens? VIII they say here. as in
Carson City, that the state cannot