The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-09-29
PUTS BAN ON DIVORCE

PUTS BAN ON DIVORCE
Proposed New Canon of Episcopal
Church Forbids Remarriage.
New York. Sept. 27.-In about
month a new canon will be enacted
by the General Convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, which
meets here in October, forbidding
even the innocent party to divorce
to marry.
The present canon makes 1t hard
enough, and. unless one can prove
absolutely that he is the innocent
party it is all but impossible to
find clergyman in America, with
In the fold Of the Episcopal Church,
who will perform remarriase, as
was shown by the difficulty the late
John Jacob Aston had in getting
married to Miss Force. The Colonel
was liberal supporter of the
church. He was even a vestryman
in a prominent New York parish,
and he is said to have offered
tee Of $1,000 to the clergyman who
would offic!ate, but even these po-
tent agencies were not sufficient and
he was married by one not in COM
munton with his own church.
As late as 1904, when the Cen
eral Convention met In Boston, an
attempt to enact the stringent ca
non. which even its opponents adj
init will pass this year. failed OF
. constitutional majority.
Since that time, however. many
changes have taken place. The atti-
tude of the church has changed.
Rev. Percy Silver. recently appoint
Cd chaplain at West Point, one of
the most scholarly and popular men
in the church, failed of confirma-
ton as bishop coadjutor In two
dioceses at two different times,
simply because he was a divorced
man.
And he was the innocent party.
More than this, he had the approval
and consent Of his bishop in taking
tho step. as being the only thing
No could do and continue his use
fulness AZ q clergyman. The result,
however, as stated. was to turn
him down throughout the country.
although his election in both do
ceses was all but unanimous.
Blshops and standing committees
the country over-for three quarters
Of these officials must ratify, any
election OF bishop before he can
be confirmed In his election-while
they admitted his excellence both
q = man and a clergyman, stated
In writing that they could not ap-
prove his election to the Episcopate
bocause even though the innocent
party he was yet q divorced man.
The same condition is said to
Axva practically driven Rev. Ar
thur Little to madness, then sui
eide. He was born into one of the
bsst families In America, was a
doctor Of the church, was theolo-
- and aukt6F q great promi-
:lnsnos-tAS rS<csssos d - Of the 81
1T churches in the Diocese of
Chicago and beyond the slightest
doubt would have been elected Bish-
on Of Chicago only-he was the
inocent party and had been di-
sorced.
The laying OF the old ghost, that
Hsnry VIII Of England himself
somswha3 OF an expert in divorce
masters the founder of the
Anglican communion, among other
things. has had q heartening effect
On the party working for q stricter
canon The discovery OF unim-
psaehable evidence to the contrary
Has taken the opponents strongest
voanon away from them.
The divorce canon, being Sec
ion III Of Canon SO. provides that
no minister. knowingly, after due
Inquiry. shall solemnize the mar,
rage Of any person who has been
or y the husband or wife of any
other person then living from whom
~ or she has been divorced for
any cause arising after marriage"
Then follows a single exception
which reads, "But this canon shall
not be held to apply to the inno-
cent party in q divorce for aduE
tory
What will be done this October
n III human probability will be
the dropping Of the exception from
the canon.
That means, then. that no clergy
man Of the whole Episcopal Church
WA b allowed to marry any d.
voTeed person whatever. no matter
What other circumstances are con-
lected with the case.