Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-01-12
ALEXANDRIA AND
THE DIVORCE EVIL
This City, it is Alleged, is
A Veritable Reno Of
The East.
80 PER CT. OUTSIDERS.
Ministers and Members of the Legis-
lautre Formulating Plans 10 Alter
Present Conditions.

The CELEBRITY with which the divorce
mill has been working in recent
years in Alexandria has become top.
ic of general comment, especially
among the clergy and members Of the
Virginia Legislature, the latter real
izing that the time has come to put
brake upon the growing evil. This
bulk Of divorces obtained in AleXan
Gria courts are Of parties not native
and to the manner born, but who take
up temporary residences in this city
in order that they may obtain separa-
tions. Most Of the deerees rendered
arc for deserticn. While probably
ninety per cent of the divorces are of
non natives, divorce suits in Alex
an6ria are on steady increase, and
they are of young couples who do not
apparently realize the responsibility
they take upon themselves when they
we'd but who seem to regard mar
riage Of but little more Importance
than going on an excursion or to a
ball.
A writer in yesterdays Washington
Times has two-column article on the
civorcc evil in Alexandria, from
which some extracts are taken:
alexandria is veritable Reno of
the East
ThHs did ~the Key Wm. ]. Morton,
rector of Christ Church, Alexandria.
where the Father Of his Country wor-
shipped during his residence at Mt.
Vernon, preface his remarks in advo-
cacy Of more stringent divorce law
for Virginia. The addition to Wash
ington and Baltimore Divorces to the
population of Alexandria will be stop
ned if the eminent divine and other
leading residents of the town have
their way. Alexandria will no longer
he the Renosque.
The possibility Of anything ap-
preaching divorce colony at the
Capitals gate, has caused storm in
the staid port of the Old Dominion.
In the Legislature of Virginia, when
it convenes on Monday. drastic bill
TO preclude any possibility Of Reno
either in Alexandria or any other part
of Virginia will be introduced.
Of the sixty-nine divorces granted
in Alexandra, during 1918, more than
80 per cent were to residents OF
Washington and other places, who
took up their residence in the Vlr-
ein;a city for one year, with the spe-
rific purpose in view of having mar
ria~e bonds dissolved. Vire7lia's laws
nermits of the annullment of the mar
riare of dissatisfied couples after a
residence of one year in the state
Only one provision is essential under
the present statute, and that is that
those unhappily tied on moving to the
Old Dominion shall notify %neir mates
that they have settles on Virginia
soil
Then, there are champions OF the
nresent law. w. T. Oliver, delegate
from Fairfax county, the neighooring
county to Alexandria, to the State
legislature declares that he will op-
nose any change in the law prov'oing
for a longer term of residence be-
fore divorce proceedings can be ins''-
tuted. -,
"If the people are dissatisfied w,.h y.
the partners they have taken tor me
then let the law be adjusted so the!
can be divorced. I am in favor Oh
,,ak;np i, more severe than 1t Is az
nresent',' declared Mr.. Oliver. i ia
,,or change making the law more re-
ciprocal The paragraphs which pro-
hibit the granting of an absolute dl-
vorce to man Or woman against
whom partial decree has been OBJ
tanned is unjust.
There is a man in Fairfax county
today. whose wife. after deserting
him and her Six-months old infant oh
t'ined limited decree against him,be-
cause he failed to fight the action
brought by her"
"Ae 49,, rat raen th;s woman -;
she obtained money from him unde,
tho pretenss of going to the, city t.
narcfass clothing six months sfts,