Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-27
Hosu q Highly Respectable,
One State May Instantly
and Her Children Be
in Disgrace in q
Neighboring State !
By William Hamilton Osborne
of the New York and New Jersey

o. the Ne" York and New Jersey B
g ONEWHERE within hundred miles
OF the Borough OF Manhattan there
Is drawn a line-inviSible but real
which separates the State OF Connect.
Cit from tho State OF New York.
There may sNis,-perhaps there does
eNist-somewhere along tia, line situa-
ton apparently unusual. apparently
UNIQUE. Actually it IS no, unusual. not
unique Blu: 10 the la: mind i is s!,ua.
tion The steanzest OF The strange.
Ms. Cadwa.aGe-, well say tthe name Is
entirely ac:;:iousl : 6 yt-tuous. n,a.ro:,
j respectable and highly domestic
young Woman. She s married 10 Young
la17alads7, They have two children. who
a. gradually entering Their teens. The
lys - Is assume. II th= State OF Con.
oectlcu; within : mile OF ,ha, unseen
border line tina; separates them from
Nav YORK
They have friends in tie State o. Con.
nscilcut close friends. intimate friends.
VINO KNOW their whole nistory. who roc.
osnlze them as hus band and wife. and as
the legitimate mother and father OF TWO
bright and pleasing children
t"r S'"'t %. connecticut. too. knows
the history Of this Young couple. and
that State. also. recognizes IN them
comedies 10 them all the virtues Bur
thelr TRENDS are not confined 10 citizens
OF the State OF Connecticut Across the
border line, over in the State OF New
York. they have other friends. They in.
vltc these friends TO their home in Con.
necticut, and these friends come. When
these New York friends in turn invite
IT, Ind
Two away, the situation changes as in tho
twinkiing of an eye. The instant tina,
the family steps across the border line
the status OF every Cadwaladcr undersoes
an unseen change. But a change that ia
wofully and terribly real
Among their friends on the New York
side' VINO entertain them frequently. is
young member OF the bar who knows
what's what. The first time the Cadwala.
ders visited his wife he said to her with
solemn popularity, after they had gone,
mat she had been entertaining very
shady people
"Cadwalader and his wife YOU know"
nc told his wife. ARE not married. She
Is bigamst and their children arc
iils VIE stopped him there with q hor-
rited expression
You may as we'll understand now" bn
continued. "as at any time thar when YOU
invite the Cadawaldcrs TO this house
therc Is huge blot on their nsCutchnon
a terrible stigma rests upon their
name. | repeat that when Mrs. Cadwala.
der comes here she is bigamist Cad.
"alader Is no hctter-he is no husband or
hefS; because he was never legally mar.
44ed' TO her. and therefore the children
cant be called little Cadwaladers al all
BY the way" he added II like Catwala.
der Let's 20 over there tomorrow
night"
But" she protests, you just said''--
An, he returns. when they visit lis
what said obtains. but when we visit
them Mrs. Cadwaladcr is Mrs Cadwal-
ader indeed; Nadwalader then becomes
her legal husband and their children are
legitimate. 10 say The least"
i fail 10 understand" persists this
lawyers wife Il know she divorced her
FIRST husband, but that made her free If
she were free she had a right 10 marry"
IL made her free comedies this Nom
Der o! the bar, but free in Connecticut
only-irce IN the State where she got
her divorce--nOt free in New York Two
miles from here Cadwaladcr and his viii.
are respectable married couple. Two
hours ago when they sat at Your ma
hoeany they were nothing of the sort"
But why?' his wife repeats Il can't
understand"
The state OF mind OF the young wife
OF TINS young Counscllor-at.law is the
state or mind Of the public at large
whenever the public at large finds itself
confronted with a situation OF this sort
And yet situation of this sort must nee.
cssariy exist III very large proportion
oi me cases where renarriage follows a
divorce. IL Is not too much to saw that
th!s remark applies almost generally TO
every uncontested divorce obtained. we'll
shF at Reno. where the defendant failed
10 put In an appearance either person
ally or by attorney
There is no doubt about the law
Ever lawyer understands the situation.
The law is settled law. There is nothing
new or mysterious about its applicatiou.
and IL Is true Of thousands Of cases 10.
day that husbands and wives who are 10.
ga! husband and wives III one State O,
the Union are quite another thing in
other States
From Time 70 time newspapers agltate
this subject. Courts always agitate II,
Within the last few years the President
OF the United States has appointed a di.
vorcc commission, known Is the National
Divorce Commission. TO correct II nos.
sblc, a situation thai becomes more
grave-not 10 say appalling as the years
go on.
In the first place. let II be repeated
that there is no doubt about the law.
Let US cite two typical case.